How was your Tuba Christmas this year?

[Mark E. Chachich]

TubaChristmas Bel Air Maryland.

Thirty seven tuba, euphonium, alto horn and serpent players showed up. Randy Harrison conducted (low brass instructor at the Maryland Conservatory of Music), he did a great job balancing the parts and making sure that the playing was musically sound. We had a standing ovation from the audience after the final piece. It was an enjoyable experience for the players and the audience.

Mark

[hbcrandy]

Mark, thank you for the the kind compliments. Merry Tuba Christmas, Bel Air, Maryland was a great success this year. For the first time ever, we played to a standing-room-only audience in the Bel Air Armory. All seats were filled but the audience members kept on arriving. About 50% of the audience had never attended a Tuba Christmas before. The audience was quite appreciative. As Mark said, we received a standing ovation at the end of the performance.

We had everthing from professional players to beginners, some having never played Tuba Christmas before. Others were veterans of Tuba Christmas. One of which had 73 Tuba Christmas notches in his gun, I mean helicon. We also had a very adept serpent player.

Our 37 performers played extremely well. The majority had attended our event for many years and had worked with me before. With the cooperation of the veterans and the new arrivals, we were able to rehearse the carols to shape phrases, follow dynamics and produce beautiful music of the season.

We even had a visit from Santa Claus, so, we must be doing something right.

Happy Holidays to all!

[HeavyMetal]

We had almost 400 musicians at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) this evening.

Dean: How was it? I've played at the Kennedy Center for several years, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it this year. The last two years, the conductors have talked way too much, the music has been slow ("God Rest Ye" as a funeral dirge), and we played at most two verses of the carols, and not that many carols to begin with.

To me, the event at the Kennedy Center has gone from being about playing the music for the audience, to everyone having to say something, and not enough playing. Several people who were in both the audience as well as players had the same thoughts last year, and were going to start doing the smaller performances in the WMA area instead.

[euphoniumpsycho]

We had almost 400 musicians at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) this evening.

Dean: How was it? I've played at the Kennedy Center for several years, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it this year. The last two years, the conductors have talked way too much, the music has been slow ("God Rest Ye" as a funeral dirge), and we played at most two verses of the carols, and not that many carols to begin with.

To me, the event at the Kennedy Center has gone from being about playing the music for the audience, to everyone having to say something, and not enough playing. Several people who were in both the audience as well as players had the same thoughts last year, and were going to start doing the smaller performances in the WMA area instead.

As someone who only plays during TubaChristmas, the slower pace gives me and other weaker players needed rest during the performance. The seventh grader I sat next to with only one year's experience and at his first TubaChristmas needed as much rest as he could get. Other TCs I have been to (two years ago I went to seven) were for the most part similarly paced.

Almost 400 musicians was a record turnout, and the crowd seemed to have a great time.