Roger Bobo Plays the Tuba

[W]

Have any of you heard this piece? I almost died of laughter upon hearing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3j2D5EcxK8

[eupher61]

what's next? "Harry Reser Plays the Tenor Banjo"??

[pierso20]

My professor performed it at a recital fairly recently. VERY entertaining piece.....I could NOT...EVER...EVER perform it...I would not be able to contain myself.

[brianggilbert]

I am the tubist on this video.

I am not "a player from L.A." but rather one from St. Louis. I have had the pleasure of performing this piece many times with the very professional St. Louis Children's Choirs over the past few years, including this performance at the American Choral Directors Association 2005 National Conference in Los Angeles. A better quality video is available here:
http://www.gatewaybrassquintet.com/Jeff ... 20Bobo.wmv

Roger Bobo Plays the Tuba is a poem by John Updike. The setting for tuba and treble voices is by Brian Holmes. The choreography was done by the girls and they performed without conductor. I think they did a fantastic job.

Yes, this is not profound music (or actually it just might be) and while I might actually prefer performing and recording music like this: http://www.slso.org/adams/, I feel a full, balanced musical life will always have a place for a little Roger Bobo or even something like this: http://www.gatewaybrassquintet.com/Music/2babadd2.mp3!

Jeff "thanks for noticin' me" Hoard

Jeff-

Thanks for the better version - I've watched this on YouTube for a while now, and it's much better and clearer on this link.

You're the man!

[contra bugle]

What are the lyrics to this? I can only understand part of them.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

What are the lyrics to this? I can only understand part of them.

The lyrics are from John Updike's poem "Recital," but modified a bit for the song. Here's what I transcribed from the YouTube recording:

Eskimos in Manitoba,
Barracuda off Aruba,
Cock an ear when Roger Bobo
Starts to solo on the tuba.

Eskimos in Manitoba,
Barracuda off Aruba,
Cock an ear when Roger Bobo
Starts to solo on the tuba.

Men of every station,
Men of every station,
Pooh-Bah, Na-bob, bo-zo,
toff, and hobo (hobo, hobo, hobo, hobo, hobo)

Cry in unison, "Indubi-dubi-dubi-dubi-
Indubitably, there is simply nobo-nobo-nobo-nobo-
Nobody there is nobody
who oompahs, oompahs, oompahs, oompahs, oompahs, oompahs
on the tuba, solo, quite like Roger Bobo
on the tuba, solo, quite like Roger Bobo
on the tuba, solo, quite like Roger Bobo!"

pah pah pah pah (ad nauseum)

Eskimos in Manitoba,
Barracuda off Aruba,
Cock an ear when Roger Bobo
Starts to solo
Roger Bobo, Roger Bobo,
Starts to solo on the tuba.

Oompah!

[Nick Pierce]

A toast to Brian Holmes for giving us this gem!!!

[The Jackson]

Yes, very!

Maybe I can talk to my school's chorus director about this piece next year...

[Steve Marcus]

Hi:

I am the composer of ROGER BOB PLAYS THE TUBA.

If you subscribe to the Horn Email List (YahooGroup?), you'll frequently read Brian's, err...Cabbage's quips.

[pulseczar]

I go to school with his son and on occasion have had the pleasure of playing with him/seeing him play.

Really fun guy to play with.