Posted by jeff miller on July 03, 2001 at 17:56:49:
In Reply to: Star Wars tuba posted by GC on July 02, 2001 at 21:52:33:
Steve Wick told me once that during the sessions for Star Wars, the conductor called up a cue number for what we now know as the Jawa music. They flipped the page and saw that passage which floats around g above middle c. In the part, there was a note that said "play one octave lower if euphonium is not available". Steve said "You know John. That was like waving a red flag in front of an angry bull." And of course, Fletcher played the thing at written pitch, giving it that fantastic rich, creamy overtone-laden sound that a euphonium would not quite have in that register. (Sorry, euph guys, but that's my opinion).
Imagine having the nerves to do that on a session with the tape running and the meter ticking over at however many thousands of dollars a minute it must have cost!
Incidentally, has anyone in the US seen the John Fletcher tribute book and cd put together by Philip Jones? If you can find a copy, I cannot recommend these enough.
Jeff