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Re: Soprano Cornet Mouthpeice Selection

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Soprano Cornet Mouthpeice Selection
From: "gyoung" <gyoung@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 00:02:37 -0400
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Graham Young (905) 575-8440
Weston Silver Band, Symphony Hamilton
Celebration Brass, McMaster Chamber Orchestra
gyoung@xxxxxxxx

Eb Cornet in brass bands is referred to 
as the soprano cornet or just plain soprano.
Colloquially also as called "sop" for short.
This is probably because when one mentions a
bandsman as an "Eb player" or "He plays Eb" the usual 
inference is EEb Bass as opposed to Eb cornet or Eb horn.

Originally Adolph Sax referred to his set of 
Saxhorns by their "voice". The Bb Cornet was called the "mezzo-soprano
cornet in Bb"
This translates roughly as "half a soprano" or "not quite a soprano" or
"slightly lower than
 soprano" which sort explains the whole situation of soprano (Eb) cornet
versus
ordinary Bb Cornet. 
There are those who complain that some soprano players play too loudly.
The standard reply is:
"What do you want, you wusses, it's marked FFF."
In reality the soprano cornet player is the natural leader of the brass
band
and not the principal cornet as some may suppose. In fact most principal
cornetists 
harbour secret desires to play soprano. They occaisionally attempt 
to demonstrate that they too can play a "high C"  in a fruitless attempt
upset the natural order of the universe.. Since the soprano sits directly
behind this type of  misguided individual it is quite easy to apply the rod
of correction by aiming a
well placed top C ( the real one in the Eb parts, not the imitation Bb
cornet
high C for mere mortals). This ususally settles these unspoken contests.

The other common misunderstanding is that the Archangel gabriel is 
a trumpet player when really it is the soprano cornet that he plays.

A complete understanding of this situation can be obtained by 
listening to Kevin Crockford play with Black Dyke Mills or to any other of
the 
top British bands. It only takes one soprano cornet to 
balance with 4 solo Bb cornets, 1 Bb repieno, 2 seconds and 2 third cornets
and a flugelhorn. Still they say we play too loud.
I say:
"What do you want you wusses, there's 10 of you and one of me, you play
louder"

> 
> I'm from North Carolina, United States, and I'm not familiar with the
> instrument "soprano."  What exactly is one?
> 


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