Posted by Klaus on August 19, 2002 at 19:45:53:
In Reply to: euphonium in youth symphony? posted by Kathy on August 19, 2002 at 19:20:48:
Blown with discretion a euph might do decent service on the lowest horn part (make sure it at any given chord is the lowest voice in the section, don't care about which # the part has been assigned in the upper left corner). The player will have to transpose the part. You will not do the player a service by writing out the part. Tell her/him the principles of transposition, and let him/her do the writing.
I once was has hauled into a local chamber orchestra as a very young player with an Eb mellophone. I started writing out a part for Haydn's D major piano concerto. My deeply rooted laziness after a very few bars taught me, that it was far easier to sight read transpositions. No matter of the key of the part. This was a valuable lesson. Not only when I later took up the real French horn.
But also when I on baritone and trombone played in churches, where the organists chose weird keys not written in the hymn book score. I could just say: "Tell me your key, and I will play it!"
As others have mentioned , a euph without much trouble should be able to play a lower trombone part. Maybe also most of a bassoon part. Just make sure, that it always is in the bottom of a section due to its being fatter than any of the "original" instruments.
Klaus