Fifteen players performed in the 39th annual annual William Bell Memorial Tuba and Euphonium Day at the First United Methodist Church Saturday afternoon, with an audience of about twice that number enjoying the long waves of the rich and reverberating brass basses in concert.
This year’s featured clinician was Christian Carichner, assistant director of bands and instructor of tuba and euphonium in the Iowa State University Department of Music. Carichner conducted a rehearsal at 1 p.m., clinic and performance at 3 p.m. and free public concert at 4 p.m.
Carichner described for the audience the different instruments in the brass ensemble, including single- and double-bell euphonia, tubas in B flat and C, sousaphones and a rarely seen ophicleide.
Gary McCurdy of Washington Iowa was among the tuba players in Saturday’s ensemble. McCurdy said he was a young man when he performed in the first William Bell Memorial Concert in 1978, and now he is the senior member of the ensemble. He briefly outlined the life history of William Bell for the audience.
He said Bell, along with Harvey Phillips and Arnold Jacobs, are considered legendary among tubists, and their reputations are still very bright among contemporary players.
It was Phillips who arranged the first William Bell Memorial Tuba Day in 1978 in Perry to honor his teacher, McCurdy said.
A Creston native, William Bell became principal tubist with the John Philip Sousa band in the 1920s and later was first tubist in the NBC Orchestra, having been chosen by the famed conductor Arturo Toscanini.
From 1943 Bell was first tubist in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and he later taught the instrument in the famed music program at Indiana University in Bloomington. Bell was nursed in his final illness by his sister, Ruth Rankin of Perry, and he died and was buried at Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry.
Chad Thompson of Urbandale, organizer of this year’s Bell event, said he was “very happy to be here again for Perry’s wonderful tribute to William Bell.” Thompson invited his fellow tubists and euphonists to a meal at the Hotel Pattee following the day’s events, where plans for next year’s concert would begin.
A moving twilight performance was also held at Bell’s grave site in Violet Hill Cemetery. The sky’s sober colors were are fitting accompaniment to the songs played in honor of Bell.
The event was sponsored by Perry Fine Arts. The next event in the Perry Fine Arts schedule is the Dec. 10 performance at the Perry Performing Arts Center by Doc McCaulley of Perry.
