Tubas return with an oompah at the mall
Published 10:37 am Thursday, December 5, 2013
Valerie Pitzen was decked out for the holidays while participating in TubaChristmas last year at Oak Park Mall. — Herald file photo
The tubas are coming back to town.
Austin’s rendition of TubaChristmas — now in its 40th year worldwide — will start at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 near Younkers in Oak Park Mall (it was in the mall’s center court for the first three years). The event features tubas, sousaphones, baritones and euphoniums playing Christmas melodies.
TubaChristmas has been popular across the globe — it began in 1974 in New York City’s Rockefeller Center — but the closest one to Austin before 2010 was in Mason City, Iowa.
Larry Nerison plays his tuba during the third annual TubaChristmas concert Saturday at the Oak Park Mall. — Herald file photo
The performance has taken off since its inception in 2010, when 15 brass players participated. The next year they had 28, then 41 in 2012, and this year they hope for even more.
The event is open to all ages, and musicians last year ranged in age from 11 to 85. Organizers say high school band students from around the area will also join.
Call Valerie Pitzen at 507-433-1881 for more information, to order a recording of last year’s performance, to get music books to practice, or to register to perform.