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Re: Tenors vs. French horns

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Tenors vs. French horns
From: Michael Solms <misolms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 07:01:31 -0400 (EDT)
Cc: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In-reply-to: <v04003a00b1613ad970e7@[207.168.181.16]>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Might I humbly offer two arguments in favor of tenor horns...

The first is the unique "middle choir" sound of the tenor horns,
baritones, and (frequently) flugel horn.  This grouping has a presence
unlike anything else is music, especially in the hands of a skilled
composer or arranger.  Witness "The Kingdom Triumphant" or almost any
other Eric Ball piece.

My second argument is made as someone who also plays in an orchestra and
has to sit behind French horns on a regular basis.  The (one hopes) heroic
and singing tone the audience hears is reflected sound- the instrument is
designed to be heard that way.  In the "french-horned" brass band, that
sound would mainly be reflecting off the bass players.  In time, our
hearing and sanity in jeopardy, we would be forced to retaliate.  The
obvious method would be to rotate our chairs a bit anti-clockwise and
lower our bells.  I imagine the effect would be like one of those movies
where rival magicians are firing bolts of magic at each other.  The
carnage such a standing wave could produce is awesome indeed.  The only
reason major orchestras have not spontaneously combusted is that the horns
don't play ALL the time and the outgunned solitary bass player has too
few notes to mount an adequate counter-offensive.  So, for the sake of
peace in our time, and for the children, we must keep the tenor horns.

Regards,
Mike Solms
misolms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
EEflat Bass, Scioto Valley Brass & Percussion


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References:
- Tenors vs. French horns
  - From: Ed Carroll

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