CHICAGO – DECEMBER 22: Sabina Ferrara plays in Merry TubaChristmas December 22, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois. About 400 tuba players performed “Merry TubaChristmas – A Concert of Christmas Music,” orchestrated solely for the Tuba in honor of musician Arthur Bell who was born on Christmas Day, 1902 by Indiana Music Professor Harvey Phillips. TubaChristmas has become a holiday tradition in Chicago since its inception 25 years ago. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
What to Know
- Select December dates
- Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Ventura...
- A lot of tubas in one place, all ringing in the season
Oh, but wouldn't a Harmonica Halloween by lovely? Or a Xylophone Valentine's or, just perhaps, an Acoustic Guitar Arbor Day?
There are so many amazing instruments to adore, and so many special occasions and widely celebrated holidays that can be further enhanced by the presence of great music.
If you're longing for more single instrument pair-ups with party-ready days of the year, be not blue, for there is Tuba Christmas, a phenomenon that is all about tuba-terrific, euphonium-awesome musicians gathering together to play a host of traditional carols on their shiny, super-sonorous horns.
And even better than the fact that Tuba Christmas will turn 50 in just a few years? It's a sweet happening that pops up around the nation, throughout December, and there are several Southern California dates just ahead.
Costa Mesa will feel the merry music on Dec. 21, the winter solstice, which feels like an ideal moment to soak in the tuba's unmistakable sounds, while Los Angeles tuba-rocking artists'll gather at The Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills on Dec. 8.
Other close-by cities on the 2019 calendar? Huntington Beach, Ontario, and Ventura are all on the line-up.
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The very first Tuba Christmas has some pretty iconic roots -- it took place at the ice rink at New York City's own Rockefeller Center in 1974 -- and it has been a way for thousands of tuba lovers, and their fans, to meet up as the year winds down.
Are you seeking some deep-toned tunes that rock some seasonal cheer? Make your way to one of the Tuba Christmas shows soon. A bonus? The musicians tend to dress for the joyful moment, adding another layer onto this lovely longtime tradition.
