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Re: NABBA Instant Band

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: NABBA Instant Band
From: Alastair Wheeler <alastair.wheeler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 10:12:21 +0000 (GMT)
In-reply-to: <v01510100af1d5fb9f400@[149.171.153.153]>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Wed, 5 Feb 1997, Jack Alexander wrote:

> Graham Young told us:
> 
> >Because of the difficulty in starting a band in North America
> >Nabba has sections that include one where a new band can play
> >even if they are using trumpets and french horns.
> 
> Hopefully this is the thin edge of the wedge, the thick edge (in 50 years
> or so) being brass band misic written speifically for trumpets and
> (especially) french horn.

There is already music written for trumpets and french horns.  Even if 
you add trombones, euph and tubas (not basses) a la LSO brass it still 
isn't brass band music.

> I can't see why what is arguable the finest middle brass instrument should
> be excluded from brass bands.  In the good ol' days, maybe it was because

It may be good orchestrally, but it simply doesn't blend.  My old youth 
band used French horns, simply because all the good hornists were 
orchestral players, and it sounded terrible.  The middle of the band was 
too brash and it also sounded like there was a gaping hole in the texture 
all the time.  Agreed that french horn solo tone is sometimes better than 
Eb though (mainly in orchestral transcriptions.....)

> (a) it was hard to find good french hornists and (b) you could always find
> some other three-valve player to fill in in an emergency, but nowadays

No, the early brass bands would use the ocasional (natrual?) horn, but 
these were discarded in favour of homogenous saxhorn tone.  One more 
thought, if you use orchestral horns do you replace the baritones by 
wagner tuben to get the same sort of tone? :-)

> there are lots of young french horn players coming up through school
> concert  bands and orchestras.
> 
> Jack Alexander
> Waverley Bondi Beach Band
> Sydney NSW    Australia
> 
> Telephone: (61) (2) 9385 5290	 Fax: (61) (2) 313 8604
> E-mail: J.Alexander@xxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> 
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-- 
  Alastair Wheeler
  Euphonium, Bass Trombone
  Alastair.Wheeler@xxxxxxxxxxxx   http://users.ox.ac.uk/~newc0349/
  "I am following my fish"

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References:
- Re: NABBA Instant Band
  - From: Jack Alexander

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