Description
The tenor horn is a saxhorn found in British-style brass bands and in terms of size and pitch comes between the flugelhorn and baritone. It is known as the alto horn in the USA (or more colloquially, the ²peck horn´, because its role was often playing off-beats), the Althorn in German-speaking countries and the saxhorn alto in France.
Denis Wick introduced deeper cupped mouthpieces to the tenor horn when he started making his designs. Up to that time tenor horn mouthpieces were bigger versions of trumpet mouthpieces, or, if you like, smaller versions of trombone mouthpieces. By creating a cup shape closer to a French horn mouthpiece, Denis Wick was able to introduce a rich, romantic tone quality to the brass band. This fitted in well with the opulent new sounds brought about the introduction of Denis Wick cornet mouthpieces and the lush tone of the new flugelhorn mouthpieces.
The tenor horn was often called the Cinderella of the brass band, as it lacked the power of the massed ranks of cornets or the sheer might of a trombone section. Denis Wick mouthpieces go a long way to correcting this misapprehension, helping the tenor horn make a powerful sound with huge expressive power and a romantic tone. The sound of Denis Wick mouthpieces creates a rich, harmonious blend in a band.
Denis Wick tenor horn mouthpieces vary from the largest (the 1 and 1A with cup diameters of 19.50mm) to the smallest (the 5 at 17.50mm) which are also the shallowest (the 1 and 1A) and the deepest (the 5). The wider the cup, the more shallow it is. The 3 is the most popular model, with a medium wide cup (18.50mm) and medium depth.
The shank is designed to fit British-style tenor horns, not the German-style rotary-valve oval models.