I can't tell you how many times in band that I have either played the bassoon ques or the entire bassoon part on euphonium. I never play it with a mute, in fact, I don't think a mute should ever go on/in a euphonium (I know, that's just me, many will disagree with that, I am sure). Right now, in fact, we have a piece called "Celtic Wedding" by Jeremy Bell, and there is a great bassoon part, and I play the whole thing (we don't have a bassoon player in the band). I think the saxes had bassoon ques, but they couldn't quite play the part up to speed with a bunch of grace notes, so I got it.
I find playing bassoon ques with reeds and playing softly to be a nice challenge in blending and soft playing. I also sometimes play the cello part in a string ensemble of about 6 stings (a couple violins, a couple violas, me on cello/euphonium actually, and a double bass). Playing at regular band levels, I would blow this group away, so this is a very nice group to play with and work on balance and blending in. No mute, just soft, controlled playing. Funny thing about that type of playing where you are really exposed, playing almost every beat (no rests) and playing really soft, I get "winded". It's almost like I have all this air saved up inside me, and I can't get it out because I have to play soft, and that makes me winded, go figure. So I am playing along, and I let some of the air escape out the corners of my mouth. Try doing that sometime, interesting to say the least.
But back to bassoon, I find the euphonium to be a great instrument to cover the bassoon parts in the absence of a bassoon player.
John Morgan
The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, Wessex EP-100 Dolce Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium
Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
Wessex TE-360 Bombino Eb Tuba
Rapid City New Horizons & Municipal Bands (Euphonium)
Black Hills Symphony Orchestra (Bass Trombone), Powder River Symphony, Gillette, WY (Tenor Trombone)
Black Hills Brass Quintet (Tuba)
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