120610 Christmas caroling with a twist

  • By Sharon Haught
  • November 27, 2010
  • 302
                        
Singing Christmas carols is as much a part of a traditional Christmas celebration as snow and presents under the Christmas tree. But when you get the opportunity to sing carols with nearly 1000 people accompanied by 80 tubas, baritones and euphoniums, that’s singing Christmas carols Wooster style! On December 11 at noon tuba, sousaphone, euphonium and baritone players from across Ohio will make their way to the Wooster High School Performing Arts Center to present the 17th annual Wayne County Tuba Christmas concert. According to Wooster High School instrumental music teacher and Tuba Christmas conductor Doug Bennett Wooster is one of 236 Tuba Christmas cities around the world, including all 50 states, Basal, Switzerland and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This year marks the 37th anniversary of this unique worldwide event which brings together those who play, teach and compose music for the instruments in the tuba family including tuba, sousaphone, baritone and euphonium. According to the official Tuba Christmas web site the idea for Tuba Christmas was conceived by Indiana University tuba instructor Harvey Phillips as a tribute to the achievements of his teacher William J. Bell. Bell, who is considered by many to be the father of American tuba playing, was born on Christmas Day in 1902. The first Tuba Christmas was held on December 22, 1974 at New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink with the late Paul Vavalle conducting over 300 musicians. Traditional Christmas music performed at the first Tuba Christmas was arranged by American composer Alec Wilder, who ironically died on Christmas Eve of 1980. The event has since grown to hundreds of cities around the world. According to Bennett Wooster area musicians have long been a part of the Tuba Christmas tradition. In the early days of the Tuba Christmas movement Bennett and former Wooster Chief of Police Steve Thornton lead a contingent of Wooster students to the Akron Tuba Christmas celebration. By the mid 1990’s the Wooster group became so large “we decided we had enough to have our own in Wooster and the rest is history,” said Bennett. According to Bennett, this year’s Wayne County Tuba Christmas concert will be dedicated to Tuba Christmas Founder, Harvey Phillips, who passed away this past year. All tuba, sousaphone, euphonium and baritone players, regardless of age, are invited to take part in the event. According to Bennett the $5 registration fee for the event includes a 2010 Tuba Christmas pin. Advance registration is not required. Registration will take place from 9:00-10:00 a.m. followed by a one hour rehearsal, a short break and the actual performance at noon. Bennett noted that while musicians participating in the concert should bring their own Tuba Christmas book additional copies will be available for purchase on the day of the performance for $18. A Wayne County Tuba Christmas is being held in conjunction with the annual Wooster High School Music Parents Association all you can eat Pancake Breakfast, which will be held in the Commons outside of the Performing Arts Center from 8:30am to 2:00pm. Tickets for the Pancake Breakfast will be available at the door at a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for children from three to ten years old. Children two and under are free. Proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast will be used to support upcoming trips planned by the instrumental and vocal music programs at Wooster High School, including the band’s trip to Disney World next year. For additional information on A Wayne County Tuba Christmas contact Doug Bennett at Wooster high school at 330-345-4000 or 330-345-8766.


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