Description:

The "Distin Family Quintet" was formed in 1833 by English brass player John Distin with his four sons. The quintet quickly became very popular, and in 1844 they made a concert tour of Paris. Here they met Adolphe Saxe, who drew their attention to the "saxhorn," an instrument that had just been developed by Saxe. They adopted the saxophone for their ensemble, and the following year, they established a company to distribute the saxhorn in the UK. The saxhorn is now almost unheard of, but it was very popular at the time, and in the 1850s there were even competitions for saxhorn ensembles. The Prince Regent Band, a British period instrument ensemble, has been exploring the sound of the saxhorn, a forgotten instrument, and has worked to completely revive the ensemble of the mid-19th century. This album offers the full range of the saxhorn's sound.