THE
CELEBRATED DISTIN FAMILY

Release date: 2nd of December, 2016 on Resonus Classics.

 

During the mid-nineteenth century the Distin Family blazed a trail across Europe and North America performing countless concerts and promoting new and exciting designs of brass instruments. The Distins originally performed on a mixture of natural and keyed brass instruments but halfway through their career, thanks to a chance meeting with Adolphe Sax in Paris in 1844, they adopted the new valved brass instruments, and in particular the new “saxhorn”, with which their names became synonymous. In “The Celebrated Distin Family” period brass specialists The Prince Regent’s Band have recreated the lost Distin Family repertoire, performing on their unique collection of original saxhorns and other fascinating brass instruments of the period.

Instruments used in the recording: 

Instruments used in the recording: 

RICHARD FOMISON: soprano saxhorn in E-flat, soprano cornet in E-flat, cornet in B-flat
RICHARD THOMAS: alto saxhorn in B-flat, cornet in B-flat, tenor saxhorn in E-flat
ANNEKE SCOTT: tenor saxhorn in E-flat, ventil horn in B-flat
PHIL DALE: baritone saxhorn in B-flat
JEFF MILLER: contrabass saxhorn in E-flat 

TRACK LISTING:

  • Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864) arr. Scott Coronation March from Le Prophète
  • Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) arr. Scott Chante Sacré 
  • Benoit Constant Fauconier (1816–1898) arr.Adolphe Sax (1814–1894) Quatuor sur une Thème d’un Sextuor pour Piano, deux Violons,Violoncelle, Flûte et Contrabasse. 
  • Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) arr.Adolphe Sax Trio (‘Ah! O sole, più ratto’) from Lucia da Lammermoor.
  • André Grétry (1741–1813) Trio (‘Une fièvre brûlante’) from Richard Cœur de Lion.
  • Guiseppe Verdi (1813–1901) arr. Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825–1889) arr. Thomas Fragments mélodiques sur ‘Messe de Requiem’ de Verdi.
  • Distin arr. Dale Distin’s Polka .
  • John Distin (1798–1863) arr. Fomison Distin’s Military Quadrilles .
  • George Frederick Handel (1685–1759) arr. Scott ‘Let the Bright Seraphim” from Samson.
  • James Kent (1700–1776) arr. Scott Blessed be Thou Lord God of Israel.
  • Thomas Arne (1710–1778) arr. Henry Leslie (1822–1896) arr. Scott Rule Britannia’ from Alfred.
  • Traditional arr. Theodore Distin (1823–1893) arr. Dale The Last Rose of Summer.
  • Theodore Distin arr. Scott Victory
  • Guiseppe Verdi arr. Dale Sinfonia to Nabucco
The Prince Regent's Band: Richard Thomas, Richard Fomison, Jeff Miller, Anneke Scott & Phil Dale.

The Prince Regent's Band: Richard Thomas, Richard Fomison, Jeff Miller, Anneke Scott & Phil Dale.