Posted by Klaus on June 11, 2002 at 15:26:53:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Oddly wrapped contraption posted by Lee Stofer on June 11, 2002 at 13:29:11:
Thank you very much, Lee, for your interesting reply!
First of all I find it interesting, that the US army has used these instruments, which I still consider basically coming out of a British tradition.
I guess, they were invented/developed to compensate for the most severe fault of the British military band: the exclusive use of cornets over trumpets. This furthers the overall blend of the band, but it also is the reason for the tendency to dullness, that very few British military bands can deny having to their tutti sound. Traditionally the RAF bands have compensated that by strengthening the trombone section in numbers and by letting it use narrow bore equipment.
The British Eb/Bb/Bb/G fanfare trumpet choirs have traditionally been applied to royal entries and to the opening of tattoos. In the latter case often playing timpani accompanied fanfares from the towers of cardboard replicas of medieval castles. However the real thing can be experienced at the annual tattoo from the Edinburgh castle. Which is most impressive, only the tattoo field is quite narrow.
My internal source within B&H tells, that the production of these herald instruments stopped several years ago. How do the US army ensembles keep up supplies (of course Bach, Blessing, and probably more domestic makers could supply the Bb herald trumpets)?
Your mouthpiece story coincides very well with some studies, that I carried out through the British embassy in Copenhagen. A music officer from the British army conservatory of Kneller Hall told, that the G bass fanfare traditionally was played by the band bass trombonist (an area where the Bb double valve slide instrument now rules exclusively), even if it would have been a better choice to have the band Eb tubist playing the G bass fanfare.
For now I probably will settle for the Yeo signature to be used on the G bass. If I manage to fill one of the sore vacuums of my 45+ pieces collection with a top rate German 4 valve rotary baritone, I might have to ask Doug Elliot to make me a set of multiple cups and stems to be combined with the Yeo signature rim.
Klaus