Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
While TubaChristmas has been an annual event around the country since 1974, local musicians are gathering this weekend to bring the performance to the Gogebic Range for the first time.
Featuring tuba, sousaphone, euphonium and baritone players of any ages, local concerts will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary’s Church in Hurley and 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Sebastian’s Church in Bessemer.
The group is continuing to accept members up until Sunday morning, according to former Ironwood band director Steve Boyd, who is directing the group.
“(I’d like) to encourage everybody, no matter how many years they’ve played, or how many since they’ve played, to come in and join us. It will all be just for fun, the music is good,” Boyd said. “There are different parts so some can be more challenging than others, so we’ll be able to put people were their level of ability is so they can be a part of the ensemble and contribute.”
As the group will gather in the Hurley K-12 School’s band room Sunday morning at 10:30 for a single group practice before the concerts, Boyd joked he also hoped the participating musicians were practicing at home.
The concerts will feature traditional holiday music, arranged to work with the group’s featured instruments.
“It’s pretty much standard Christmas carols, they were arrangements done for this group — they are all four parts, just like a church hymn,” Boyd said. “We divide the group up, so all the parts are covered. So you have melody, a really nice harmony and a baseline. It will be something everyone can take part in.”
Harvey Phillips, tuba instructor at Indiana University, started TubaChristmas in memory of his teacher, William Bell, with the first performance taking place in New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
Since then, more than 300 cities in the U.S. and several foreign countries have hosted concerts.
Boyd said the concerts provide an opportunity for one of the orchestra’s unsung heroes to be recognized.
“Tubas almost never get to be in the limelight, and this is a great chance for them to shine,” Boyd said. “They’re kind of like the base drum of a drum set, it’s there and you know it’s there and it sounds great but very seldom does it have the cool parts.”
He also hopes the concerts become part of the Range’s Christmas celebrations in future years.
“We’re hopeful this can be an ongoing tradition,” Boyd said.
He said those interested in performing in this weekend’s concerts, or having questions, can contact Sue Trull at [email protected] for information and to get the necessary music. For more general information on TubaChristmas, visit tubachristmas.com.
