What’s the best way to ensure that every low-brass musician has a happy holiday? Give them the opportunity to play in the front row.
This year, that early Christmas present comes on Saturday, Dec. 10.
The 15th annual Erie presentation of Tuba Christmas will be held that day in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building at Penn State Behrend. The performance begins at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
As its name implies, Tuba Christmas is songs of the season interpreted by an ensemble of student, amateur and professional low-brass musicians performing under guest directors Gary Viebranz of Penn State Behrend, Daniel Burdick of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Lowell Hepler of Allegheny College and Ron Stitt of Allegheny College.
All tuba and euphonium musicians are invited to join the Tuba Christmas performance; registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and rehearsals will be held on site, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continuing until 11:45. To register to participate, visit sites.psu.edu/tubachristmaserie or contact Viebranz at 814-898-6289 or gav3@psu.edu. For performers, there is a registration fee of $10. Special 15th anniversary T-shirts will be distributed to all participants.
TubaChristmas debuted at Rockefeller Center’s ice rink in 1974 as a tribute to the late tuba legend William J. Bell, who was born on Christmas Day 1902. TubaChristmas is produced nationally by the Harvey Phillips Foundation; the Erie performance is supported by the Mary Behrend Cultural Fund.