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Oxford

Author: Jas
Date: 2002-01-05 16:49

I recently bought my wife a used french horn (Christmas gift), that is marked on the bell... "OXFORD, Distributed by Boosey and Hawkes, Canada". I have searched and searched the web for more information on Oxford (specifically to date the horn), but have come up empty-handed.

Even Boosey and Hawkes mentions not the elusive Oxford name.

I've been a clarinetist for a while and seem to recall a few saxophones bearing the Oxford name. Anyway.... long (non-clarinet related) question short..... Can anybody out there point this reedman in the right direction to information on Oxford instruments? Websites?

Any help would be appreciated, really.

Thanks.
Jas

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RE: Oxford

Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-01-05 16:57

Not listed in The New Langwil Index

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RE: Oxford

Author: GBK
Date: 2002-01-05 17:11

I had a few students come through the band program with Oxford french horns and Oxford trumpets by Boosey and Hawkes. I seem to recall that these were strictly the entry level student instruments made (distributed) by Boosey and Hawkes.

These instruments occasionally turn up in "used instruments for sale" web offerings - and do not usually command very high prices. One site I saw mentioned the poor lacquer which often would fail.

There are some brass bulletin boards where you might pose this question and get more specifics. Happy horn hunting (pun intended) ...GBK

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RE: Oxford

Author: Joseph O'Kelly
Date: 2002-01-06 22:22

I got this off the Boosey and Hawkes webwsite...........

Oxford Saxophone by Michael Odgaard, posted on 12/07/2001
In my workshop I have just overhauled this old B&H saxophone. I cant seemt ot find any serial number lists, so maybe you could help me out. Its a silverplated tenorsax with the inscription OXFORD, sole distributor Boosey&Hawkes, London-England, made in France, 2189. Thank you very much. PS Its a fantastic sax Author

The Oxford Saxophone was part of a range of instruments branded Oxford / Cambridge / Westminster / Cavendish. They were developed from products produced in France and imported to England (and later manufactured there) by Henry Distin, whose company became part of Boosey & Co. in 1868. It is interesting to note that in 1845 Adolphe Sax (inventor of the saxophone) patented what is sometimes called the Saxhorn family. This was a matched set of conical valved instruments capable of providing uniform tone across a wide range of pitch. The original family include ; Eb tenor ( now the tenor/alto horn ) Bb baryton ( now the baritone ) Bb basse ( now the euphonium ) Eb Contrabasse ( now the Eb tuba ) A Bb Contrabasse ( Bb tuba ) was added in 1851. Saxhorns were immediately successful, and were quickly adopted by military and brass bands throughout the world. Today, over half of the instruments that make up the British style brass band are descended from the Saxhorn family. Therefore the Oxford Saxophone would have been produced in France after 1930's and imported to England by Boosey and Hawkes would have had a direct link to the work of Adolph Sax.

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RE: Oxford

Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-01-06 22:40

<b>PLEASE!</b> - just a URL to the appropriate page is sufficient - it's the whole purpose of the Web.

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