2014 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Adolphe Sax, inventor of (amongst other things) the saxhorn. The Prince Regent’s Band, an ensemble formed to explore the wealth of nineteenth-century music for brass and wind instruments, have chosen to celebrate this anniversary with a concert of music inspired by The Distin Family – the most famous and prolific ensemble of the 19th century.

The first half of the concerts will comprise arrangements of Distin operatic repertoire (Meyerbeer, Verdi, Bellini, Donizettti, Rossini) and ballad repertoire (Henry Bishop, Michael William, John Stevenson, Handel) with the second half showcasing two of the earliest brass quintets, by Bellon and Ewald.

Richard Fomison: cornets; Richard Thomas: cornets/saxhorn; Anneke Scott: saxhorn/piston horn; Philip Dale: saxhorn/trombone; Jeff Miller: saxhorn/ophicleide

Tickets available from www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford/#promoter=385