Saturday’s Tuba Christmas concert at the First United Methodist Church paid annual homage to the life of Perry’s world-famous tubist, William Bell, as a festively dressed audience of about 60 tapped their toes to the collection of Christmas songs played by 17 tuba, euphonium and trombone players.
The 45-minute performance was conducted by Perry High School Band Director Blaine Schmidt, who said he has attended every Tuba Christmas event since 2009. Greene County High School Band Director Wes Anderson, performing on tuba, also took the conductor’s podium for a few songs so Schmidt could play his instrument.
This year is the 50th anniversary for Tuba Christmas concerts and events, which are presented throughout the world. Tuba Christmas was conceived in 1974 by Harvey
Phillips as a tribute to Bell, his professor and mentor, who was born on Christmas Day 1902.
“Through the legendary William J. Bell, we reflect on our heritage and honor all great artists/professors whose legacy has giver us high standards of presentation, well-structured pedagogy, professional integrity, personal values and a fellowship shared with all
other instrumentalists,” according to the Tuba Christmas website.
The first Tuba Christmas was conducted by Paul Lavalle at the skating rink of New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza on Sunday, Dec. 22, 1974. Traditional Christmas music performed at the first celebration was arranged by American composer Alec Wilder, who ironically died on Christmas Eve 1980.
Wilder composed many solo and ensemble compositions for tuba and euphonium and
was a loyal supporter of every effort to improve the literature and public image of these instruments.
“Through Alec Wilder, we express our respect and gratitude to all composers who continue to embrace our instruments with their compositions and contribute to the ever growing solo and ensemble repertoire for tuba and euphonium,” according to the Tuba Christmas website.
As veteran tubist Gary McCurdy of Washington, Iowa, explained to the Perry attendees, William Bell was born in Creston in 1902 and at the age of 10 began playing tuba in a boys band in Fairfield.
Bell was soon touring in professional bands prior to attending the University of North Dakota on a full music scholarship at the age of 15. By the time he was 18, Bell was hired as principal tuba in the famed John Phillip Sousa band.
Bell was principal tuba of the Cincinnati Symphony from 1923 to 1937, when the famed director Arturo Toscanini selected him to be the principal tuba in the newly formed NBC Symphony Orchestra. In 1943 Bell accepted an invitation to become the principal tuba with the New York Philharmonic.
He later turned his talents to teaching, accepting a professorship in 1961 at Indiana University, where he became widely known for his teaching ability and for publishing teaching material that came to be widely used in teaching elementary, middle and high school students. Bell’s method books are still widely used today.
Shortly after his retirement from Indiana University in 1971, Bell fell ill during a visit to Iowa in 1971 and was brought to Perry, where his sister, Mrs. Ruth Rankin, lived. Bell spent the last months of his life in Perry, passing away Aug. 7, 1971. He is buried in Violet Hill Cemetery.
The next Perry Fine Arts concert will feature the music of the Weary Ramblers on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. in the Perry Performing Arts Center at 1200 18th St. in Perry.
