“TubaChristmas,” a free concert of popular Christmas carols performed by Rolla-area tuba and euphonium players, will be held at noon Saturday, Dec. 10, in the atrium of the Havener Center on the University of Missouri-Rolla campus. Rolla is one of 180 cities that will host a hometown TubaChristmas performance this winter.

“TubaChristmas benefits the community by giving everyone an opportunity to come together in the Christmas spirit, not only to hear and sing carols, but to broaden horizons about a class of musical instruments that are not well known,” says event coordinator Jared Shulse, a sophomore in mechanical engineering at UMR. “Tubas and euphoniums are capable of more than the ‘oom-pahs’ that they’re often confined to playing. An entire ensemble of them playing together, using music composed for these instruments, can bring out the beauty of the low brass sound.”

Created by acclaimed tuba soloist Harvey Phillips, TubaChristmas was originally developed in 1974 to honor the late William J. Bell, Phillips’ mentor and instructor. TubaChristmas concerts are presented with permission from the Harvey Phillips Foundation Inc.

More information on TubaChristmas and its history is available at www.tubachristmas.com. For more information on TubaChristmas in Rolla, contact Shulse at jdsq4f@mst.edu .