Milbank Musicians Play in Merry TubaChristmas

The 51st Annual Merry TubaChristmas was held in Aberdeen on Saturday, December 14.  After rehearsals in the morning, the group presented performances at the Dakota Prairie Museum and on Main Street. They performed  their finale at Market on the Plaza. 

This year, the players’ ages ranged from seventh graders to musicians in their  60s. The Milbank students were accompanied to the event by Susan Karels, Milbank’s band director for grades 6-12.

TUBACHRISTMAS began in 1974 as a tribute to the late William J. Bell, born Christmas Day, 1902.  This annual holiday celebration is a chance to express respect and gratitude for the contributions of many great performers, teachers, and composers and to dazzle audiences with “heavy metal” sounds they don’t often hear.

TUBACHRISTMAS performances have been important in helping gain recognition and respect for the tuba and euphonium, and to build public awareness for their existence and musical potential.  The mass choir made up of tuba and euphonium players heard at TUBACHRISTMAS has attracted considerable public and national media attention.  The Guinness Book of World Records performance was held in Kansas City in 2021 with 835 tubas and euphoniums participating.

Submitted Photo: Front – Krista Nies (MHS junior trombone), Mrs. Karels (MHS band director), and Nycole Korstjens (MHS junior euphonium)
Second Row –  Ian Liebe (MHS alum/NSU student euphonium), Darin Hagen (MHS freshman euphonium), and Cody Wiik (MHS sophomore bass trombone).