It Takes Brass

The sweet sound of more than 300 tubas and euphoniums will fill the air today for the 39th annual TubaChristmas Concert in Skyline Park, a gathering of amateur, student and professional players from around the region. “It’s a beautiful sound; tubas don’t play the melody in a band or orchestra...

By Bree Davies

December 19, 2013

Audio By Carbonatix

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The sweet sound of more than 300 tubas and euphoniums will fill the air today for the 39th annual TubaChristmas Concert in Skyline Park, a gathering of amateur, student and professional players from around the region. “It’s a beautiful sound; tubas don’t play the melody in a band or orchestra very often, so this is really cool for us,” says Bill Clark, conductor, tuba player and organizer of the concert since its 1976 inception. Both holiday tunes and originals written by Clark will be on the program.

What started decades ago as an alternate take on caroling by Clark and his fellow musician friends has grown into a massive musical celebration that takes over downtown Denver one afternoon a year. The retired professor of music, who leads a single rehearsal the morning of the concert in a space on the Auraria campus, says the yearly gathering has also become a place for old friends to reconnect. “The rehearsal is just as much fun as the concert,” he jokes.

Hundreds of tuba players will descend on Skyline Park, 16th and Arapahoe streets, from 1 to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit downtowndenver.com.
Sun., Dec. 22, 1-2 p.m., 2013

Bree Davies is a multimedia journalist, artist advocate and community organizer born and raised in Denver. Rooted in the world of Do-It-Yourself arts and music, Davies co-founded Titwrench experimental music festival, is host of the local music and comedy show Sounds on 29th on CPT12 Colorado Public Television and is creator and host of the civic and social issue-focused podcast, Hello? Denver? Are You Still There? Her work is centered on a passionate advocacy for all ages, accessible, inclusive, non-commercial and autonomous DIY art spaces and music venues in Denver.

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