ISSUED: 3 December 2013
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — TUBACHRISTMAS will be held for the third year in a row on Saturday, December 21, at 1 p.m. on the steps of McMurran Hall at Shepherd University. Coordinated by Shepherd faculty members Dr. Kathleen Corpus and Dr. Keith Alexander and conducted by Dr. Erik Jones, director of choral and vocal activities at Shepherd, TUBACHRISTMAS is a public concert of Christmas carols where audience members listen to the tuba-euphonium choir. Tuba or euphonium players are invited to participate in the performance no matter their age or skill level. TUBACHRISTMAS player registration begins at 10 a.m. at Reynolds Hall. A $10 registration fee to participate includes a commemorative 2013 pin. TUBACHRISTMAS music will be available for purchase in both treble and bass clef editions at registration. Rehearsal follows at 10:30 a.m. and the concert begins at 1 p.m. on the steps of McMurran Hall. Harvey Phillips, a well-known tuba player, created TUBACHRISTMAS in honor of his teacher, tubist William J. Bell. This year TUBACHRISTMAS is celebrating its 40th anniversary (1974-2013) with concerts presented in more than 250 cities nationwide and in several foreign countries. Every holiday season, tuba and euphonium players gather to pay respect to the great artists and teachers who represent their heritage. TUBACHRISTMAS concerts are presented with permission from the Harvey Phillips Foundation, Inc., and feature traditional carols especially arranged for tuba and euphonium by American composer Alec Wilder. Concert-goers should dress warmly and may bring lawn chairs to the concert. In the event of snow, rain, or high wind, the concert will be held inside Reynolds Hall. Players need to bring their own instrument and a music stand. For further local information contact Kathleen Corpus at 620-339-6330 or corpus03@comcast.net. Information about the national TUBACHRISTMAS organization can be found by visiting www.tubachristmas.com. Approximately 40 musicians are expected at the Shepherdstown TUBACHRISTMAS from West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and as far away as Tennessee.
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