Posted by Michael on January 31, 2001 at 02:20:00:
In Reply to: Re: Distin Family Quintet posted by Matthew on January 31, 2001 at 00:45:37:
You can find out more about the Distin Family Quintet from Cliff Bevan's book (the original one, anyway) on tuba history and also from some books on the history of the brass band movement (Give me a day or two to remember titles and authors) The Distins were important in establishing the saxhorns (tubas, baritones, euphs, tenor horns) as essential to the sound of the brass bands of the 1840s and 1850s. They began performing on older instruments, but became friends with A. Sax and began touring with his instruments and later selling them and I believe making them or similar models. Their example and juried shows at places like the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851 (where Berlioz was a judge) helped to influence town bands across England to choose all-brass instruments. Contests also led to standardization of instrumentation, as when the prize given to the winning Ophicleide player was a new euphonium (hint, hint!)