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Two Euphs too many?

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Two Euphs too many?
From: Adrian Drover <saxhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 10:45:15 +0100
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I recently read on this list, a suggestion that one of the euphs should be
dumped due to its overwhelming quality of sound in relation to the rest of
the band. It is true that the euph has a very powerful sound in relation
to the majority of the instrumentation. This is due to the size of its
bore. In fact one solo euph can easily be heard against the full ensemble.
But it is no more powerful than the tubas or the flugelhorn, which are
built the same way.

The euph will stick out like a sore thumb if it is scored incorrectly.
Melody lines, bass lines and counterpoints are fine for the euph, but if
you put two of them on the same harmony line, you have problems. When I
score for these instruments in a harmony role, I always have them divisied
and combined with the flugel and/or the basses which are of the same
family of instruments. This creates a balance of heavy tone, which can
easily be combined with the rest of the instrumentation.

There are 4 tubas in the band. That is 3 more than are normally used in
the symphony orchestra, but this does not create an imbalance, because
they are usually all scored on the bass line, which apart from the melody,
is the strongest line of the voicing. Using the basses on a harmony line
could cause problems, but have you considered writing 4 part harmony for 2
euphs and 2 Eb basses (or one Eb and one Bb). This should give as good a
balance as 2 tenor horns and 2 baritones (or 3 and 1). In fact there is no
reason why you should not be able to use more than two euphs. Think of the
wonderful sound you could get from 4 flugels, 3 or 4 euphs and 1 or 2
bass tubas scored in 8 to 10 parts.

Just a thought for Sunday morning, and I haven't even mentioned french
horns or trumpets.

BTW, my spell checker doesn't suggest "oafs" for "euphs", but it does
recommend "hoofs".

Adrian :-)


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- Re: Two Euphs too many?
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