Tubas reign this Christmas season

The classic Christmas carols that echoed throughout the Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA) could almost be felt as much as they were heard.

The unique, bass heavy show once again highlighted an often under appreciated instrument.

The annual Tuba Christmas performance returned to Kelowna Saturday afternoon, putting the low brass instruments in the spotlight and demonstrating the depth of sound they are capable of producing.

“People just think Tubas are just these great big instruments that are in the background, and yet they can play melodies, they can play solos,” conductor Peter DeRoche told Kelowna10.

What astonishes many people, DeRoche explained, is the high pitches the often bass-heavy brass can achieve as well.

“The range of the instruments will quite surprise you,” he said.

Dozens gathered for the free show inside the Rotary hall and patrons of the Roma Nord Bistro nearby were treated to music with their lunch.

Holiday cheer was on full display as band members wore Christmas sweaters, toques, and some even draped tinsel around their gleaming brass instruments.

DeRoche not only conducted the brass playing band while interjecting with facts and history, but he also brought the audience into the show, encouraging them to sing along to the carols.

He joked that even he forgets the words to all the songs and encouraged the crowd to look up the lyrics on their phones. Many did.

Tuba Christmas shows have taken place around the world since 1974. They were first organized by a man who many considered the best Tubist in the world, the late Harvey Phillips.

The shows have been running in Kelowna since 2016. Supported by the Harvey Phillips organization, the show promotes Tubas as so much more than support instruments at the back of the stage.

It’s sponsored by the Kelowna City Band, the city’s oldest running organization at 130 years old and DeRoche looks forward to each annual show.

“We as a group of low brass players do not get together very often,” he said. “So, this opportunity to put all of us together and just gather and perform is just exciting and rewarding.”

‘It’s really cool to be able to expose this kind of instrument to the public, because you don’t know what we can really do.”