TubaChristmas at Disneyland tomorrow the 22nd

[k5jm]

This strikes a chord with me!





TubaChristmas at Disneyland tomorrow the 22nd

by John Frost of thedisneyblog.com

Tuba fans, I know there are one or two of you out there, let it be known that Christmas Cheer is nearly here. Make your way to Downtown Disney Anaheim tomorrow at 2pm to enjoy the sultry tones of dozens of assembled Tubas as they come together for the new annual tradition of TubaChristmas.

 

[FireDancer]

This past Saturday I went to the tuba Christmas down in Akron Ohio. It is interesting to say the least but is always a good time. I'm not sure if they are all the same but for this one they play each song once as an instrumental and then again with the audience singing.

 

[k5jm]

This past Saturday I went to the tuba Christmas down in Akron Ohio. It is interesting to say the least but is always a good time. I'm not sure if they are all the same but for this one they play each song once as an instrumental and then again with the audience singing.

In all the TubaChristmas Events I have been to since 1985, I have not been to one where they have had singing.

I do know that one year when I played in Dallas, that I believe we achieved the "brown noise."

 

[snowwhitenyc]

That is great! I love Tuba Christmas concerts -- I always go to the one here in NYC, it is amazing!

For those who have not heard the story, here is a nice version of it:

It is 1974 and Harvey Phillips is looking for a way to honor his teacher, William Bell, who was born on Christmas day, 1902. Mr. Bell played with Sousa and Toscanini, and taught at Juilliard. Mr. Phillips thinks Bell isn't as well known to other tubists as he should be. Tubists don't seem to know other tubists, so he sends letters to 400 tuba players around the country and asks if they would like to be part of a Christmas concert. Three hundred say 'yes.' Whoops. Better find a venue.

Mr. Phillips says, "I thought New York would be a good place to have the concert because William Bell had taught there. I called Rockefeller Center and asked to speak to the vice president of public relations. I asked him if they ever used a stage behind the ice skating rink for concerts. He said this had never been done, but he asked 'What kind of ensemble do you have?' I said, 'I don't have one but I expect around 300 tubas.' There was silence on the other end of the phone."

Sensing that veep isn't quite sharing his vision, Mr. Phillips gives him the numbers of some of his friends, who happened to be Leonard Bernstein, Morton Gould, Leopold Stokowski, Gunther Schuller, and Andre Kostelanetz. An hour later the VP from Rock Center calls back and says, "I've spoken to your friends and you can have anything you want."

Next problem: there are no arrangements for 300 tubas. Mr. Phillips asks Alec Wilder to do them. Wilder, after a certain (perhaps understandable) reluctance, comes up with 33. The first rehearsal is held on the second floor of the NBC building in a long corridor about 20 feet wide and 80 feet long. In addition to the musicians and Mr. Wilder, a group of friends, family, and reporters are gathered. After the cacophonous warm-up, the conductor, Paul Lavalle, calls for silence. Then, improbably, 300 tubas begin to play "O, Come All Ye Faithful." Mr. Phillips says, "Everyone began to cry and Alec Wilder was jumping up and down, hugging me, tears in his eyes, saying 'It works! It works!'"

Now there are Tuba Christmas concerts every year all over the country and around the world.

 

[Prose]

Cool!! DH studied with Harvey Phillips at IU and played with Tuba Christmas back in the late '80s. He still has the red stocking cap that says "Tuba Christmas" on it.....