Euphonium Article

[Highams]

Earlier this year I compiled an article about my collection of euphoniums for Winds magazine in the U.K. which now appears on the Brass-Forum together with pics;

http://www.brass-forum.co.uk/Articles/Articles.htm

CB

[JTJ]

Nice article Charley.

I especially appreciated your comment on how the singing quality seems to have been lost, except for the very best soloists. Why do you think that is? What has driven the euphonium to the extremes of size and bore found today, with, as you note, players "often mistaking volume for tone."

John

[Highams]

Thanks JTJ, I'm certain it started with the trombones (I'm not blaming them!), then trumpets/cornets etc.

I don't think it's so much the larger bore as the huge bells that make the difference.

This is noticeable with my own 2900 Willson (rather than the 2950) and with players like Trevor Groom and Morgan Griffiths who favoured the Sovereign 968 instead of the 967.

One of my pupils has a rare (over here) Willson compact E flat compensating 4v tuba which has a 15" bell (17" was usually the smallest on these 3+1 models) and it can really sing!

CB

[JTJ]

Thanks, Charley. it's interesting what you note about the trombones. I don't know first hand, but I like to follow the discussions on the "open horn" and "trombone.org," and there does seem to be feeling among professionals that the trombone has gotten too big, especially the bass trombone, with a return to smaller models with smaller bells underway.

John

[Highams]

I'm not surprised. There is in London, the New Queens Hall Orchestra;

http://www.nqho.com/

which use instruments prior to 1920. Small bore brass, piston valve French Horns and vintage strings and woodwinds. The sound is glorious. I heard them live playing the programme from the Coronation of 1953, plenty of brass fanfares and Crown Imperial etc.

Their recording of The Planets is so colourful!

CB

[Lyle]

Hi Charley, great article. I have a 'Enharmonic compensating euph' (circa 1925) like you describe with 2 sets of slides for each valve. The euph is in good shape & for sale in Rhode Island for $1000.00.

[Highams]

Thanks Lyle. I've only ever seen one Enharmonic Besson tuba, in B flat, very rare. But I had a compensating cornet by Boosey, that sold to a guy in Germany.

CB