Tuba Christmas Returns to Valdosta Mall Dec. 1

VALDOSTA — Tuba Christmas returns to Valdosta Mall at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1. Admission is free of charge.  

The Valdosta State University Tuba Euphonium Ensemble will be joined by community musicians for the fourth annual performance, which will feature a number of family friendly holiday favorites, including “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Greensleeves,” “S’vivon,” “Away in a Manger,” “Carol of the Bells,” and “Sleigh Ride.”

“… we do Tuba Christmas because it is a fun way to show the world what the tuba can do,” said Dr. Daniel Rowland, a lecturer in VSU’s Department of Music. “As teachers and performers, we are always searching for ways to show the public that the tuba is much more than an ‘oom-pah,’ and Tuba Christmas is a way for us to perform familiar tunes in a beautiful way to a captive audience. We also do it to honor the forefathers of our instruments, the composers who had faith in the instrument, and audience members who have discovered just what the tuba can do. The event has evolved over the years to include many cultures ….”

Tuba Christmas has been celebrated around the world since 1974. It was conceived by Harvey Phillips, an American tuba player and dedicated advocate for the instrument, as a tribute to his teacher and mentor, William J. Bell, a noted tuba player during the first half of the 20^th century who was born on Christmas Day in 1902.  

Community tuba, euphonium, sousaphone, and baritone players interested in joining the festivities should contact Rowland at djrowland@valdosta.edu to learn more. Musicians who plan to perform with the group are invited to a rehearsal at 4 p.m. on the day of the performance in the VSU Band Room, which is located on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Oak Street and Brookwood Drive.