[Dixielandjazz] Sousaphone

[John Farrell]

Brian Wood's comment :

"a sousaphone is really a tuba adapted for marching"

reminded me of the time I went to Kentucky to hear Mr. Jack Daniels' Silver
Cornet Band - what a marvellously accomplished outfit they are! Also on the
same bill was a sizeable military band which wore Civil War uniforms and
replicated the music and instrumentation of the period (it was so long ago
that I can remember only one of the tunes they played - "Eating Goober
Peas"). The bells of many of the larger brass instruments pointed backwards,
when the conductor explained that this was to enable the troops marching
behind to hear the music I thought "What a sensible idea" and wondered why
the backward facing bell was discontinued.

Does anybody know?

John Farrell
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm