Strictly Oompah: Helicon sighting at TubaChristmas!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Helicon sighting at TubaChristmas!

Here's how things looked at the Lansdale, PA TubaChristmas this afternoon:

Having started to dig into the history of the helicon bass lately, I was pleasantly surprised to see one of these great old horns at our concert (front and center above; my son is the third Sousaphone from the left in the back - the second bell-front horn; me and my tuba are buried in the middle somewhere!).

Talking briefly with the helicon owner afterward, he shared that it was built in 1905 and imported from Europe. It did sound a little muffled, but I think I know why . . .

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sousa on the Sousaphone

"The Sousaphone received its name through a suggestion made by me to J. W. Pepper, the instrument manufacturer of Philadelphia, fully 30 odd years ago. At that time, the United States Marine Band of Washington, D. C., of which I was conductor, used a double B-flat bass tuba of circular form know as a 'Helicon.' It was all right enough for street-parade work, but its tone was apt to shoot ahead too prominently and explosively to suit me for concert performances, so I spoke to Mr. Pepper relative to constructing a bass instrument in which the bell would turn upwards and be adjustable for concert purposes. He built one, and grateful to me for the suggestion, called it a Sousaphone. It was immediately taken up by other instrument makers, and is today manufactured in its greatest degree of perfection by the C. G. Conn Company, of Elkhart, Ind." (John Philip Sousa, Christian Science Monitor, August 30, 1922, p. 8)