What horn did you use for Tuba Christmas this year?

ai698 · Post by **ai698** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:20 pm

I used my MW46F and played first part in El Paso, TX. We had about 50 show up.

Hank74 · Post by **Hank74** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:29 pm

I used my silver Jupiter sousaphone for the Rochester TC and my new Infinity BBb sitdown tuba for the Syracuse TC.

To me, I feel better when playing the sousaphone since it's more comfortable just flipping my flip folder instead of dealing with all the paperwork and stand with the sitdown tuba.

Hank74

Hank74 · Post by **Hank74** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:55 pm

It's a "student" level tuba for beginning students. Mine is a 3/4 with 3 top action valves.

I'm more of a sousa fan, but brought this tuba just to try it out in a TC.

Hank74

LOTP · Post by **LOTP** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 5:32 am

Yesterday, at the Rockland Co. (NY) TC, I used my 4v Courtois Eb. Out of 35 players I was the only Eb and there were only 2 Fs (both quite large). It seems that very few people come prepared to play the third(1st tuba) part. Tubas want to make obscene noises an octave below the staff and the euphs want to play the melody. An interesting aside: There were NO sousaphones. First time I've ever seen this happen.

Paul

drandomtubas · Post by **drandomtubas** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 7:02 am

I played my VMI 3302 (-:

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:07 am

I played my 1880 Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory Eb bass. It's a tiny little "tuba" with a big sound.

I wish I still had my 1914 Buescher Eb raincatcher sousaphone, because that was the perfect TubaChristmas horn. I brought that to the NYC TubaChristmas a few years ago and it was perfect to decorate with lights and to play the tuba 1 parts.

Mark E. Chachich · Post by **Mark E. Chachich** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:09 am

Meinl-Weston 32 at the Baltimore Tuba Christmas.

As always, Tuba Christmas was a lot of fun. It is always good to be around many tuba/euphonium/alto horn/Wagner tuben/etc... players.

Merry Tuba Christmas!
Mark

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:21 am

From my experience, there are a number of TubaChristmas participants whose primary goal is to have a lot of questions asked about their instrument. The TubaChristmas in Fredericksburg, Tx. had a guy with an ophicleide. Needless to say, he REALLY enjoyed himself. There were a multitude of question and many eyes on his instrument.

I took my Miraphone 186-CC as always. I can play any of the Tuba 1 parts for TubaChristmas, or the TubaMeister Christmas book, on it. It even works for the special charts the TubaMeister play. On one of these, I have the "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" melody going up to an Eb above the staff. If I have the chops, and right now I do, the horn does not pose a problem.

My only hesitation about taking my best horn is one of concern of it getting damaged. Needless to say, I am extremely careful.

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:46 am

TubaRay wrote:From my experience, there are a number of TubaChristmas participants whose primary goal is to have a lot of questions asked about their instrument. The TubaChristmas in Fredericksburg, Tx. had a guy with an ophicleide. Needless to say, he REALLY enjoyed himself. There were a multitude of question and many eyes on his instrument.

...

My goal is not necessarily to have a lot of questions asked, but to bring something that people might not see every day. Also, I don't bring anything that I would worry about getting another dent in, and it has to be something on which I can play in tune with a relatively good tone.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:52 pm

My little 1895 Henry Distin Eb. A great little horn for a 3-banger.

Bandmaster · Post by **Bandmaster** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:56 pm

I'm lucky enough to live where I can easily drive to three or four different Tuba Christmas events if I want. The Los Angeles (Glendale) Tuba Christmas on December 5th was great. The Tubadors played and Jim Self conducted 12 of some of the top players in LA in the premier of a new arrangement. Even on a raining day in LA thay managed to get 250 tubas to show up. Some really great tuba sounds were made that day. For that event I played a BBb Sanders Custom (copy of a Miraphone 191). I went to the Riverside Tuba Christmas on december 18th and played my 40 year old silver Olds sousaphone. I also plan to go to the Anahiem Tuba Christmas on December 22nd, but I haven't made up my mind which horn to take yet. I can't take my Holton because Dan Oberloh has it and is making it look pretty again.

God, I miss playing that horn...

Dean E · Post by **Dean E** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:16 pm

~1921 Eb Conn Pan American 3/4 peashooter, 3 top piston valves, 16 inch bell, .625 inch bore, lacquer. Canton, Ohio.

~1926-27 Eb York, fixed bellfront, 3 front piston valves, 20 inch bell, .656 inch bore, lacquer. Martinsburg, West Virginia; Frederick, Maryland.

Both Eb horns played the upper tuba parts fine, especially the portions which either were slow, or which I had rehearsed.

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:57 pm

Bandmaster wrote:he Tubadors played and Jim Self conducted 12 of some of the top players in LA in the premier of a new arrangement.

Bet that was a blast.

I went to the Riverside Tuba Christmas on december 18th and played my 40 year old silver Olds sousaphone. I also plan to go to the Anahiem Tuba Christmas on December 22nd, but I haven't made up my mind which horn to take yet. I can't take my Holton because

Take the Olds again. You don't see enough of them anymore.

Speaking of Olds, I too my 30 something O-99 (3 valve). I sat next to a trombone "player" in college (doubling on a big King bellfront) who had never even heard of Olds. What are they teaching these kids nowdays...

Teubonium · Post by **Teubonium** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 4:18 pm

I took my 1953 King recording bass ("Old Bessie") to Denver TC. With almost 400 participants, I only saw 4 recorders, much fewer than prior years

One was a monster York with a 28 inch bell which the owner had rescued from an antique shop. Made my Old Bessie look like a pea shooter

We also had the usual mix of double-bell euphs, helicons, and over-the-shoulder Civil War horns.

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 5:35 pm

Ray is right when he says that some seem to have the objective of being asked as many questions as possible. Most take the instrument that will show off what interests them the most about the tuba. For some, it will be their sound. For others, the history. Still others will tell all about the good deal they got (using a standard that I would have preferred to avoid).

I tood my F tuba as usual, because the Tuba 1 parts usually need reinforcement. This year, I took the old B&S Symphonie, because it has such a characteristic sound for that middle voice.

At both the TC's I attended, there were representatives of the groups who love old and/or cheap instruments. I tried to sit as far away from them as possible, but generally failed.

Rick "who has an old tuba but who has enough trouble playing well on a good instrument" Denney

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:35 pm

Took the Getzen CB-50 again. I may take the Miraphone next year just to be different. The black Kellyberg was a hit with all the kids from Cobb Co. & vicinity who come to the Atlanta TubaChristmas. With their growing popularity I don't expect the "wow factor" to continue.

The real treat (for me at least) was Fred Mills showing up in Athens with his soprano tuba. It was the first (and last) time I'll ever refer to a tuba as "cute."

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:45 pm

I took my big ol' cleveland/King frankenhelicon to NYC.

I only saw one other helicon there, a cute little Eb and no bizarre horns like ophecliedes or serpents or anything. I was surprised. I thought I'd see more unusual stuff especially since there were 450 of us.
lots of Kelly mouthpieces though...
ken k

Steve Inman · Post by **Steve Inman** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:39 pm

The low brass members of my brass choir played a few TubaChristmas arrangements, at a "non-T.C." event. I used my Conn 56J for the low tuba part during the first performance, and for the 2nd tuba part during the second performance.

This is because the other tubist played a Willson 3400 Eb during the first concert (so I had the "big" tuba), and he brought his Holton 345 BBb to the second concert (so then I had the "small" tuba)!!!

Cheers,

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 4:45 am

Nothing. Bah Humbug!

Daryl Fletcher · Post by **Daryl Fletcher** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 8:54 am

Doug@GT wrote: The real treat (for me at least) was Fred Mills showing up in Athens with his soprano tuba. It was the first (and last) time I'll ever refer to a tuba as "cute."

Fred brought his soprano tuba to Atlanta a few years ago. I thought it added a nice touch to the smaller ensemble in Athens.

I also liked meeting Doug and Andy this year.

Meinl Weston 32 + Harvest Gold Kellyberg

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What horn did you use for Tuba Christmas this year?

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