During the forthcoming European Brass Band Championships in Ostend the Cosy Brass Quartet will be playing a central role by evoking the 'Ancient Times' of the Saxhorn-family.

Homage

As a musical homage to the test piece by Jan Van der Roost 'From Ancient Times' Cosy Brass will recall the development of the 'cornet-à-pistons'. It will do so, disguised as the once famous, but now forgotten Distin-family.

The Cosy Brass Quartet will play the quartet on original 19th Century instruments4BR

Distin family

The British family, having encountered Adolphe Sax in Paris in 1844, suggested opening an agency for him and his saxhorn-instruments in London.

From 1837 on the Distin-family traveled through Europe and the United States as renowned virtuosi, and it is quite possible that the French flutist and composer Edmond Juvin had them in mind when he composed his 'Premier Grand Quatuor': a classical quartet which demonstrated the possibilities of these new instruments.

Original instruments

The Cosy Brass Quartet will play the quartet on original 19th Century instruments- a soprano, alto and baritone saxhorn, all of them from the original Adolphe Sax factory, and a Raoux-cornet with Stölzel-valves.