The Double Bell Euphonium,

I Beg your Pardon?

By Joshua E. Long

The disappearance of the

double-bell euphonium
from manufacturers
catalogs is mysterious.

Double Bell Euphonium?

What kind of musical instrument is that?

Double Bell Euphonium?

This

hybrid duplex instrument existed mostly

and was quite popular in the Golden Age
of Bands, an era of time marked from 1880
to 1930 where bands of America where
evolving, admired, and accepted by many. 2

What is a
Euphonium?

Early Instruments

Early instruments were

made from horns of
cow, oxen, or goat.

By piercing holes into

the horns you could
play a melody.

The Cornett and Bugle

were the two
instruments that
evolved from this
creation. 3

Early Instruments
Serpent

(bass Cornett)

Ophicleide

(French for
young bull
connection to cow
horns) evolved.

The ophicleides timbre, full

and resonant, was
characteristic of both the
saxophone (which developed
from it) and the euphonium
(which replaced it)
considered the baritone/bass
voice in the ensemble, was
even at times called the
euphonion or euphonium.
4

Early Instruments
In

1843
Concertmaster
Sommer of Weimar
designed a 3 valve
C, Bb, and A
baritone bugle called
Euphonion in
Germany, later
Barytonhorn. 5

Here Comes the

Double Bell Euphonium

Double Bell Euphonium

Duplex

Instrument two instruments

of the same pitch but of different tone
qualities, connected by a single
leadpipe. 6

Not

to be confused with our modern French

horn, which is a duplex instrument of two
different pitched instruments (Key of F and
Bb), connected by a one single leadpipe.

Evolution of the Double

Bell Euphonium

Evolution

1788 Thomas Clagget (Irish), combined two trumpets (D and Eb) using the
primitive valve mechanism. 7

1851 Gismore (London) combined a cornet and flgelhorn and McNeil (Dublin)
combined a trumpet, cornet, and an flgelhorn all with a valve to redirect air
stream through different shaped tubing and different types of bores. 8

1855 during a Paris Exposition, Pelitti, an Italian brass manufacturer,

introduced a family of Gemelli (Italian for twins) cornet and flgelhorn; alto horn
and Eb trumpet; baritone and valve trombone (ancestor of Double Bell
Euphonium); and tenor tuba and bass trumpet. 9

1859 London Newspaper advertised an echo cornet made by Khler cornet with
second bulb-shaped bell (first to use multiple bells) which produced a distant
echo effect (for soloists). 10

1859, Adolphe Sax produced six valve, seven-bell instruments.

1873 Vienna Exposition presented the first double-belled instrument F.

Hirschberg of Breslau introduced his B-C Clairon (flgelhorn in Bband cornet in
C). 12

11

Evolution

1870s Bohland and Fuchs (Graslitz) built the next direct ancestor to the double
bell euphoniumcombination of a baritone (or baryton), and a valve trombone
(example did not survive). 13
1887 J.J. Chediwa (Odessa) invented Lyrophone with two tubes of the same
length but with different boresthe narrow tube used for solo and piano
passages, the wide bore tube for tutti and forte passages (Double Bell
euphonium direct intended special effects use). 14
1888 C.G. Conn built a 5 valve double bell euphonium for Harry Whittier (John
Philip Sousa Band [US Marine Band]). 15
By 1890 Higham (Manchester), produced the Highamphone, and Fontanie
Besson (Paris), produced the Doblophone. In America, J.W. Pepper imported
their instrument from C.A. Mouchel (Paris), and the Coleman Music Company
imported from Missenharter (Stttgart). 16

1890 Bessons stock report showed they made a Basse et trombone (probably
a double bell euphonium). 17

Evolution

By 1900duplex echo instruments being produced was only double bell

euphoniums (most popular) and echo cornets. 18 Makers such as King (H.N.
White and Company), Holton, Beuscher, Distin, York, C.G. Conn, Martin, and
Sliver Piston Chicago.

1902 D.C. Hall and Company exhibited a complete line of echo instruments. 19
Double Bell Euphonium combines a conical (Cornett Family) euphonium and a
cylindrical (Bugle Family) valve trombone, both sharing the same valve cluster
and lead pipe. 20

This idea making a duplex instrument combining two

instruments one can be traced back to the Fourth Century in
Central and South America, where natives combined pipes and
whistles together creating double, triple, and even quadruple
instruments. 21

It was also found in Ninth Century Morocco, Egypt, Greece,

Slavic territories, and India where double flutes and clarinets
were created. 22

The Music Man

production by Meredith Willson:

Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun,
With a hundred and ten cornets right behind.
There were more than a thousand reeds
Springing up like weeds,
There were horns of every shape and kind.
There were copper-bottomed timpani in horse
platoons,
Thundering, thundering, all along the way.

Double bell euphoniums and big bassoons

23

Construction of the
Double Bell

Construction

Same as a single bell

euphonium except it has two
bells and double the
instrument.

Based off a large bore

(euphonium) or a small bore
(baritone) it has two
complete instruments of
tubing similar to a double
French horn but produces
two different timbres at the
same pitch. 24

Large Bell = euphonium

sound

Small Bell = trombone

sound.

Construction

4 Valve Double Bell Euphonium: 1 3 are standard valves and

valve 4 operates small bell and shuts off big bell.

5 Valve Double Bell Euphonium: 1 4 are standard valves and

valve 5 operates small bell only.

Bell placement, valve placement, and tubing wraps differed

greatly from company to company, and even within the same
company from year to year. 25

Function of the Double

Bell Euphonium

Function

Karl King famous

march composer once
referred to the
euphonium as being a
cello of the band but
the soul of the band,
too.
26

During The Golden Age

of Bands if there was a
euphonium player; it
was probably a Double
Bell Euphonium player.

Function

Paul LaValle a conductor of

the Ringling Brothers and
Barnum Bailey Circus Band
once said the euphonium
section would often use the
small bell for a thinner sound
to blend with the trombone
section (Stars and Stripes
Forever), and the broader
sound of the large bell to
blend with the tubas. 27

1912 C.G. Conn Advertises The small or

trombone bell enables the performer to
strengthen the trombone section in certain
passages where the trombone parts are intended
to predominate and it also enables the performer
to obtain an echo effect in solo work.
1916 C.G. Conn Advertises The mellow voice of
the euphonium and the penetrating trombone
tone combined in one instrument.
1934 C.G. Conn Advertises The smaller bell
enables the performer to use echo or trombone
effects to give variety and life to the tone
coloring.
28

Performers of the
Double Bell Euphonium

Performers

The first musician to use a

Double Bell Euphonium was
Harry Whittier soloist for
Patrick Gilmores Band in
which he played a double bell
euphonium made for him by
C.G. Conn in 1888. 29

Joseph Raffayolo followed his

path and took the instrument
with him to John Philip Sousas
band in 1892. 30

Joseph DeLuca, Aaron Harris,

Salvatore Florio, Charles
Caputo, and Charles Bezucha all
performers and soloists with
many famous circus bands.

Performers

Other John Philip Sousas Band

personnel included Noble
Howard, John J. Perfetto, and
the well-known Simone
Mantia who performed
exclusively on Conn Double Bell
Euphoniums and was also a
soloist of Arthur Pryors Band. 31

Even at age five Tommy Dorsey

switched from playing alto horn
over to a Double Bell
Euphonium. 32

More recent soloists: Leonard

Falcone, Brian Bowman, David
Werden, and Neal Corwell.

Performers

The late Ashley Alexander a

jazz artist can be heard
playing a Double Bell
Euphonium on the MattesonPhillips Tubajazz Consorts
Noreens Nocturne, from the
Superhorn album. 33

Betty OHara played her

valve trombone and doublebell euphonium during that
memorable evening. On S
Wonderful, blowing
thorough euphoniums
alternate bells, she traded
profound statements with
herself. 34

What Musical
Pieces Were Played

Musical Pieces

Theme and Variations Carnival of Venice.

Original Fantasie by the well-known Simone Mantia has certain editions

Father and Son Fantasy by W.W. York was the only Double Bell

to offer the use of two bells for the played double stops in honor of the
way Mantia would perform it. 35
Euphonium piece written for the instrument back in the day. 36

Jan Bachs Concert Variation for Euphonium and Piano contains

stopped trills that can be generally performed by a Double Bell
Euphonium - in the description it refers to making the timbre of the
trills sound like a Double Bell Euphonium. 37

SB or LB (Small Bell or Large Bell) found embedded in early

ensemble euphonium/baritone music.

In 1965 Philip Palmer wrote 8 Artistic Brass Sextets, which are brass
sextets that have small bell markings. 38

Double Bell Euphoniums

Then Vanished

Vanished

There is no exact date, although King removed them

from their catalogs in the 1960s, Conn in 1956 after
their contact stopped with the Marine Band. 39

Holton stopped manufacturing sometime between

1931 and 1935 as it was missing in the catalogue
after 1935. 40

Edward Mallets DMA Dissertation for Michigan State

University found by comparing 49 Double Bell
Euphoniums, that the two bells had tuning issues in
which some good range notes were off by more than
a half step between the two bells. 41

Vanished
A

British Navy vessel was docking for repairs,

which included the on-board brass band, also
needing repairs. Americans decided to give
the band brand new instruments. Harold
Brasch, soloist of the United State Navy Band
took one of the left behind Boosey & Hawkes
compensating euphoniums. Brasch found a
dark mellow tone due to the larger bore
much different than the American
euphoniums. So he put down his King
Double Bell Euphonium. 42

Vanished

Arthur W. Lehman a famous euphonium soloist said about the

second bell during a Marine Band concert, We use it to hold our white
gloves when we are not wearing them. 43

Some performers would have repairman disengage the small bell

making it a Single Bell Euphonium for weight reasons. Many players
would just keep their small bell off during rehearsals and it was only
during performances they would add the small bell for show. 44

Where to Find Double

Bell Euphoniums

Found on the walls in bars, classrooms, showcases, in

the hands of collectors, and museums.

There are 15 European and American made Double Bell

Euphoniums in the Arne B. Larson Collection of Musical
Instruments of the Shrine to Music Museum on the campus of
University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. 45

A much decorated engraved C.G. Conn Double Bell Euphonium is

stored at one of the Ellis Island buildings in New York.

A 1936 C.G. Conn Double Bell Euphonium is on display at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York given by Werner
Kramarsky. 46

Found on eBay in which you can pay around $2,000 for a 4 valve
or $3,000 for a five valve.

Edward Mallet created a new Double Bell Euphonium made from

a Canadian Brass-style euphonium and Getzen trombone bell.
This instrument was created to minimize the two bell pitch issues
but was never mass produced due to high costs. 47

Are You Interested in the Double

Bell Euphonium Craze?

Probably the remaining

double bell euphoniums
still in existence are in
the hands of collectors
or rest silently,
unknown, in some
48
peoples attics.

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