Who created the Sackbut?
Possibly the most mysterious of all the brass origin stories, the question of who created the Sackbut is one of the hardest to answer… but why?
Blog
Why are musical instruments important?
Learning to play a musical instrument is something, as children, we’re encouraged to do in school by our teachers or after school by our parents, but is something which can hugely benefit us as adults, too.
April's U.S. Tour!
Our Founder Jonathan is touring the U.S for the second time this year!
This lengthy tour will start in Michigan at the Wessex Tubas warehouse, where our instruments are stored before being delivered to our wonderful American customers.
On Tuesday 3rd April, Jonathan will be heading over to Cincinnati from the warehouse, where he is meet up with Chris Olka, who recently reviewed (and loved!) the CC 6/4 Front-Piston Tuba "Chicago-Presence" for his YouTube channel, and is part of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
Following this, Jonathan will stop by to pick up Chuck Nickles, and drive to Fort Wayne in Indiana where they will be exhibiting at the North America Brass band Championship between 6th 7th April.
Next, it’s off over the Rocky mountains to Washington state for the International Tuba Euphonium Conference North West at Central Washington University, Ellenburgh, between 13th & 15th April.
Heading East, via a stop over in Yellowstone Park, Jonathan & Chuck will make their journey to Chicago where they’ll meet none other than Gene Pokorny of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
After this, it’ll be time for a well-earned break for Jonathan as he heads back home to the UK, spending a week with his beautiful wife and catching up on business.
However, there’s no time to waste as, promptly following his mini-break from this extensive U.S. tour, Jonathan will be back in Chicago to pick up the van and get back on the open road!
He will continue east to Buffalo for the Associated Concert Band Festival, 2-4 May; then on to Cleveland for Cleveland Tuba Day on 5th May, whilst on that same day, Wessex will also be proudly exhibiting at the Royal Marines Low Brass Day at the Royal Marine’s base in Portsmouth, back in the UK where Jonathan is based.
After these - very full! - few days, Jonathan & Chuck plan to travel south to Talahassee, Florida, for the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, taking place from 10th to 12th May.
From there, it’s back to Michigan, and Jonathan will be returning to the UK on 16th May.
What a journey Jonathan’s embarking on! We can’t wait to hear all about it, and if, like us, you’re eager to know how it all goes, keep an eye on our Facebook page for news & updates of Wessex biggest U.S. tour to date (even bigger than the last one!).
And, in the meantime, if you’d like to know more about our instruments, please visit our online shop.
Wessex on tour: USA
Recently, our Founder - Jonathan Hodgetts - undertook a 3 week tour of the USA; his biggest business trip to date, spanning an impressive 5,500 miles across some of America’s most beautiful landscapes.
How to play Euphonium for beginners
A sweet sounding, relatively small brass instrument, originally introduced in 1843 under the guise of ‘Euphonion’, the Euphonium is a particularly popular choice for many brass enthusiasts.
The history of the Cimbasso
Now a cornerstone instrument in many orchestral Tuba players’ arsenals, the Cimbasso has been shrouded in mystery since it's humble beginnings 136 years ago. Here, we explore the fascinating history of the Cimbasso.
An exciting two weeks at the factory
Here at Wessex Tubas, we take the utmost care in everything we put our name to – ensuring every instrument under the Wessex brand is personally inspected and play tested to ensure you receive the highest quality instruments available. That’s why, once every three months, we send at least a couple …
National Brass Band Championships 2017
An annual event, the finals of the National Brass Band Championships is an occasion Wessex Tubas frequent; every year exhibiting some of our most popular and newest brass instruments for guests to try and enjoy.
Arsenal Drum and Bugle Corps win Gold and Best of Show!
Often at Wessex Tubas, we’re invited to work with a marching band or brass band; our range of instruments able to equip almost an entire band.
Recently, we had the pleasure of working with a division of New Mexico based, Arsenal Drum and Bugle Corps.
