[Dixielandjazz] Tubapalooza - 73 Tuna Players Toot at Philly'sTUBACHRISTMAS

[James O'Briant]

Steve Barbone wrote:

> Subject: Tubapalooza - 73 Tuna Players Toot 
> at Philly's TUBACHRISTMAS

Methinks there's something fishy about the spelling in the subject line.

> Even Carol Jantsch, the pretty and very talented 20 something 
> principal Tuba from the Philadelphia Orchestra was there at 
> the 6th annual Kimmel Center TUBACHRISTMAS. BTW, Ms. Jantsch 
> plays some damn good OKOM when the spirit moves her.

[snip quoted article]

The journalist left out one major detail:  Why is there a TubaChristmas a
all?  Because William "Bill" Bell, the premier tuba virtuoso of the first
half of the 20th Century, was born in Creston, IA on December 25, 1902.
Tubist Harvey Phillips founded TubaChristmas and wrote the arrangements in
honor of Bell.  There is one non-Christmas title in the TubaChristmas books:
"Komm, Susser Tod" ("Come, Sweet Death") by J.S. Bach, a chorale which was
Bell's favorite piece of music.

In San Jose, CA, Tubist Tony Clements did his own version of the event,
called "Christmas TubaFest," for several years.  Tony's charts included Alto
Tubas (Eb Alto Horns) and some had descant parts for the "Fluba" or Soprano
Tuba, a Flugel horn rebuilt to an upright bell configuration.  I believe
that the largest group Tony had at any of the Christmas TubaFest events was
220 players. I played Ophicleide at the last couple of events.

Jim O'Briant
Tuba
Gilroy, CA