John Fletcher

[WorldofBrass.com]

Woops, I made the same post twice and, now that someone has replied, the only thing I can do is remove the duplication and replace with this message!

[WorldofBrass.com]

The CC that you refer to in the LPO was made for a guy called Paul Lawrence and is, as you say, a cut down version of the 3 + 1 BBb's. I have a photo of it in Sounding Brass magazine dated Summer 1980. It has the Besson New Standard finger buttons on it but I can't see the name on the bell to tell if it was stamped Boosey & Hawkes 'Imperial' or Besson 'New Standard'.

Any chance of scanning the photo and putting up here? That would be interesting.

I'll see what I can do on Monday when I'll attempt to use the scanner at work.

[brianf]

John Fletcher was one of a kind - one of the world's greatest tubists and a fine gentleman. He has been missed.

A few years ago I started putting bios of great brass players on my web site. I was searching for a bio of John Fletcher for a long time. Finally a few weeks ago Steve Shoop sent me a bio. I just put it on my web page located at http://www.windsongpress.com/brass%20pl ... etcher.htm .

I am lucky as one of my horns is a "Fletcher" model Besson E flat. What makes this horn special is that John Fletcher chose this horn for Arnold Jacobs. I always think of Fletch every time I play it!

[kathott]

Discussion of the EEb tuba often morphs into a comparison of the EEb/ CC instruments. I have attended a few concerts in London, and have heard enough players there (I think) to have an opinion on the national style. I saw mostly EEb's as the instrument of choice and those players can blow the roof off,
if they have to/want too. They just choose not to do it all the time.

[WorldofBrass.com]

The CC that you refer to in the LPO was made for a guy called Paul Lawrence and is, as you say, a cut down version of the 3 + 1 BBb's. I have a photo of it in Sounding Brass magazine dated Summer 1980. It has the Besson New Standard finger buttons on it but I can't see the name on the bell to tell if it was stamped Boosey & Hawkes 'Imperial' or Besson 'New Standard'.

Any chance of scanning the photo and putting up here? That would be interesting.

Here is is.