Posted by Joe S. on June 12, 1999 at 23:46:17:
In Reply to: Re: Using a sousaphone in an orchestra posted by Sam Gnagey on June 12, 1999 at 05:58:11:
I have fun with some band directors who come in to my store asking me (locally, I have some fooled into thinking that I am some kind of "expert" or something) what kind of concert tuba to put out for bids. I tell them that since it is their band, that they should pick, and I have them sit in a chair with their back to me. I grab a Miraphone 186 and play some stuff, then a Conn 36K fiberglass and play the same stuff. Most all pick the fiberglass, and act embarrassed after they find this out. The Conn fiber sousa has a bigger, rounder, and more mellow sound than the 186, and has a good scale. A life-long friend, Jesse Allen, made 1st chair in the Tennessee All-State Band in 1971 (his tenth grade year) on a Conn 36K fiberglass, and never a private lesson. After he graduated in '73, he auditioned for the D.C. Army Band (still, up until then, no lessons ever) on the same fiberglass sousa and got the job. Keep in mind, also, that he was auditioning during Vietnam, and EVERYONE who was young and male wanted into ANY Army band. Another parenthetical consideration for these instruments is that their pitch is so nicely flexible and their false tones are so excellent, that 3 valves on these instruments are quite adequate.
If I was in an orchestra, I would think that Sam's sousa use suggestions are good. I might stretch out a bit and try "American in Paris", among other things. The tutti parts would sound nice on a good sousa and I believe that the cute little solo would, too. I have made an argument on this BBS in the past that all of the York-style tubas, with their medium-large bores, huge branches, and huge bells, are basically sousaphones in the shape of concert tubas, except two feet shorter, and with a couple of extra valves.
I did Tuba I on Zarathustra in Memphis last year, and was tempted to use my Eb helicon (The conductor would have let me play it on whatever, as long as it sounded good.), but at the last minute grabbed the old B&S F, just because I didn't want to have to worry about reading and intonation issues.