Heavy metal
Have yourself a merry TUBACHRISTMAS.
The tuba is the underdog of the orchestra world. Larger and more unwieldy than the other instruments in the band, the tuba often is relegated to the back row of the orchestra and only allowed to make little “oom pah pah” noises in the bass line of a composition. The tuba is the butt of jokes. If the concert band were a high school gym class, the tuba would be the last one picked for the softball team.
Still, the tuba has strength and character rarely seen in classical instruments. The tuba has a range greater than four octaves, more than most of the instruments in an orchestra (and nearly as many as Whitney Houston). The tuba also has TUBACHRISTMAS, an international movement of tuba-only holiday performances. The first TUBACHRISTMAS was held at New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink in 1974. Since then, more than 180 cities have picked up the tradition, including Sacramento. This year’s local TUBACHRISTMAS celebration is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at the California State University of Sacramento Music Recital Hall. Admission is free. Tuba players of all ages will gather to play Christmas carols with tubas decorated for the season. Show support for the mighty tuba! For more information, visit www.tubachristmas.com.
