PORT ANGELES — Call it a tuba takeover.
Tubas, euphoniums and baritones will fill the Sunset Lounge at Field Arts & Events Hall on Sunday for the first Port Angeles TubaChristmas, a low-brass holiday celebration that organizer Tyler Benedict said has been a couple of years in the making.
Benedict, the conductor of the Sequim City Band, said he and other low-brass musicians had long talked about bringing TubaChristmas to the North Olympic Peninsula. This year, the Sequim City Band decided to host it, working with Field Hall to secure the venue.
The free concert will begin at 1:45 p.m. All low-brass musicians are encouraged to take part.
What makes TubaChristmas work, Benedict said, is players simply showing up, horn in hand, and getting into the spirit of the program. He’s hoping for about 30 players, including several from outside Clallam County.
The national TubaChristmas program, now in its 52nd year, is run by the Harvey Phillips Foundation and is open to anyone who plays a low brass, valved instrument.
Registration will open at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Field Hall lobby, followed by an 11 a.m. rehearsal. Registration will cost $15. The sheet music — the same used for decades — is $20-$25.
A donation from the Sequim City Band will allow a limited number of local student players to participate at no cost. For more information, email director@sequimcityband.org.
Only tubas, euphoniums and baritones qualify — sorry, trumpets and trombones! — because this concert shines a spotlight on instruments that don’t usually get one.
Anticipated musicians and their instruments can be decked out in holiday style.
Benedict said the audience can expect familiar holiday music, including “Deck the Halls,” “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World” and a comedic version of “Jingle Bells.” Local vocalist Vicki Helwick will join for several selections.
Sequim City Band member Kevin Bergevin, a retired teacher and school administrator, will conduct so Benedict can play tuba in the ensemble.
First-time TubaChristmas attendees often are surprised by the sound, Benedict said. Rather than a booming marching-band feel, the instruments produces a warm, blended tone.
“It’s smooth and warm, not loud,” he said, noting that euphoniums often carry the melody while tubas anchor the lower harmonies.
The concert also will include introductions to the various instruments — their shapes, sizes and history.
“It’s a family event,” he said, that’s meant to be fun.
The camaraderie among tuba players is part of what makes TubaChristmas special, Benedict said.
He first picked up the instrument when he played in the Crescent School District band. He switched from trumpet to tuba at the suggestion of director John Kizer.
Being a tuba player can feel solitary at first, he said, but the small community quickly becomes a kind of club.
“You meet another tuba player, and you immediately know what to talk about,” he said.
TubaChristmas
When: 1:45 p.m. Sunday
Where: Sunset Lounge at Field Arts & Events Hall, 201 W. Front St., Port Angeles.
Admission: Free
Information for musicians:
Register at Field Arts & Events Hall at 10 a.m., with a rehearsal at 11 a.m.
Cost: $15 to register, $20-25 for music.
A limited number of scholarships sponsored by the Sequim City Band are available for middle and high school students who would otherwise be unable to participate. For more information, email director@sequimcityband.org.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
