Thread: Tuba Christmas
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Old 11-30-2017, 08:58 PM   #6
mfdanko99
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Dozens of area musicians perform in annual tuba holiday event

Article from Last year

Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
An estimated 120 tuba and baritone horn players of virtually all ages performed in the 18th annual TubaChristmas in the Valley concert Sunday at Stambaugh Auditorium.
Sunday also was the 43rd anniversary for TUBA-CHRISTMAS concerts/events presented throughout the world.
TUBACHRISTMAS, after which TubaChristmas in the Valley is patterned, was conceived in 1974 by Harvey Phillips as a tribute to his teacher and mentor, William J. Bell, born Christmas Day 1902.
Mike Danko, who plays baritone in the Cortland Community Band, participated with three other members of the community band.
“As long as you play a euphonium or baritone, a tuba or a sousaphone, which is a marching tuba, you can participate,” said Danko, who performed in his sixth TubaChristmas on Sunday.
“It’s fun. I just love to play,” said Danko, who used to play trumpet.
He said the players ranged in age from 13 to 88, and one young woman from the Netherlands, who was visiting in the area and heard about the concert, borrowed a tuba and played.
Danko said Hubbard brought the most players, with 16, but that there were participants from numerous high schools and community bands, and Youngstown State University instrumentalists and high-school and college educators.
The collection of players performed traditional Christmas music, from carols to “Jingle Bells.”
“A lot of people don’t realize that baritones and tubas can carry the melody,” he said.
“What’s neat is you get to see all different styles of horns. It’s so cool to see,” Danko said.
Wes O’Connor, band director of Austintown Fitch High School, was conductor of TubaChristmas, and its coordinator was Teresa Kirkland.
The first TUBA-CHRISTMAS was conducted by Paul Lavalle in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink on Dec. 22, 1974. Traditional Christmas music performed at the first TUBACHRISTMAS was arranged by American composer Alec Wilder, who composed many solo and ensemble compositions for tuba and euphonium.
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