French Horns -Am I the only one??

[ann reid]

French Horn was the instrument I wound up playing in my undergrad Brass Methods course.

I had no objections to being required to play it, and I was distinctly unremarkable on it.

I chose euphonium 50 some years later with a more positive result.

[MarChant]

During the Covid-lockdown in early 2021 I started playing around with Alto (\Tenor) horns, but as these are (becoming) obsolete in regular Wind Bands I switched to French Horn when we started rehearsals again. Then after a year I quit the Wind Band and joined a Symphony Orchestra.

I realise you're probably the wrong crowd to say this to, but it is a delight to play in a Symphony Orchestra again, after almost 20 years playing in Marching/Wind bands. But in the end, Symphonic Orchestral music is what I grew up with even though French Horn is a new instrument for me. I played 4th horn in the past program, but the next program I will be playing 1st horn in Brahms' 1st Symphony; that is a challenge I am looking forward to.
During my life I have performed at least once on all these Brass instruments: Cornet, Trumpet, Trombone once by accident, Tuba, Euphonium and most recently French Horn. So saying French Horn players are not real Brass players feels a bit like a personal attack...

I also still like to play around with the Alto Horns occasionally and I agree that they should continue to be used in Brass Bands; French Horn should stay in the Symphonic Wind and Symphony Orchestra.

[anadmai]

Well said.

[MichaelSchott]

Without the French Horn there would be no Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1. The world would be a very sad place. Glorious is the word I would also use to describe this instrument.

[Acemorgan]

My two cents: As a tuba player, I would love the chance to play in a smoky jazz trio of piano, bass, and drums. But as a musician, I know it should be done by a string bass.

So I would have to agree that the French horn has a place in the concert band or orchestra, but not in the traditional brass band.

I have no issue with French horns in general, except for their presumptuous claim to exclusive right to the word, "horn." I don't remember there being a vote on that.

[davewerden]

We must remember that the French horn is the only brass instrument that is included in the standard brass quintet AND woodwind quintet!

[Shinn]

Interesting read on tenor horns~

https://www.public.asu.edu/~jqerics/alto-tenor-FAQ.html

[MikeS]

Interesting reading on tenor horns

The article makes no mention of alto/tenor horns in Hispanic banda music. I will try to find a better example, but this will do for now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ9CjJdn4nk

[aroberts781]

The article makes no mention of alto/tenor horns in Hispanic banda music. I will try to find a better example, but this will do for now.

Thanks for adding this to the discussion, Mike. I love the way that different brass instruments, including baritones and euphoniums as well, show up in banda music.