TUBACHRISTMAS Concert--An Annual Holiday Tradition

Holiday traditions abound for our family and one of them is to attend the free annual TUBACHRISTMAS (yep, all one word) concert held on the second Saturday in December at noon at our local community college.  Musicians from the surrounding area gather to rehearse that morning and then provide an hour long concert.  All Christmas carols on tubas!

TUBACHRISTMAS first started in 1973 by Harvey Phillips to honor his teacher Bill Bell, another great tubist, who was born in Creston, Iowa on Christmas Day in 1902.  TUBACHRISTMAS also recognizes Alec Wilder, a composer who arranged many of the songs performed at TUBACHRISTMAS who passed away on Christmas Eve in 1980.  TUBACHRISTMAS celebrates all teachers of the tuba and euphonium and composers who have contributed to the playing of these instruments.  You can read more about TUBACHRISTMAS at their web-site—click here.

Several sets of holiday favorites were played throughout the hour long concert.

The Lowly Brass provided a musical interlude in the middle of TUBACHRISTMAS.

This concert was the 8th annual TUBACHRISTMAS and we were trying to figure out how many we had attended.  It has been several!  We brought Grandma Carol along this time!

Enjoy the videos and the music!

 Carol of the Bells is one of my favorite holiday carols.  Hearing it played by tubas made it even more special!

The concert ended with a rousting We Wish You a Merry Christmas!  We'll be back next December!