Carol of the Tubas and Ukes, in Greater Morristown

Tuba tidings at Morristown's Merry Tuba Christmas 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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Maybe America needs a healthy dose of tuba therapy.

“If we sang with one another more often, we’d have less of an opportunity and less of a propensity to be shouting at one another, don’t you think?” John Palatucci asked from the conductor stand Saturday afternoon on the Morristown Green.

He got a resounding Yes! from a big audience who bundled up in the seasonably cold weather to sing along with more than 100 tubists and euphonium players at Morristown’s seventh annual Merry Tuba Christmas, a highlight of the Christmas Festival at the Morristown Green.

Slideshow photo by Kevin Coughlin. Click / hover on icons for captions.

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The tradition dates to 1974 at New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Harvey Phillips created it to honor his teacher, the late tuba legend William J. Bell (born Christmas Day, 1902). These events have spread around the world.

A booster shot of ukulele goodness never hurts either, come to think of it.

This video incorporates clips from a Merry Tuba Christmas, and from The One Uke Wonders’ performance Friday night at the Troubadour, in a Folk Project holiday benefit for the Unitarian Fellowship in Morris Township. Just to prove that Carol of the Bells is indestructible:

Matt Paterno shared conducting duties at Saturday’s tuba extravaganza, as he has in the past.

New this year was a brass brigade from the National Guard’s 63rd Army Band in Sea Girt–SFC Linda Chapin of Hazlet, Sgt. Robert Knauf of Jackson, SPC William Applegate of South Brunswick and SPC Gabriel Castillo of Fords –who proved that Uncle Sam packs a mighty wallop in the musical arena.

Saturday’s players came from as far Vermont, and ranged from age 10 to 75.

At the low end of that scale was Griffin Branch, a fourth-grader from Randolph who performed alongside his father, Russell Branch.

Griffin is a newcomer to the euphonium. What does he like about the instrument?

“You can play really fast,” he said.

Who could argue with that?

Morristown Merry Tuba Christmas 2019. Video by Kevin Coughlin
Griffin Branch, 10, of Randolph at Morristown’s Merry Tuba Christmas 2019. Video by Kevin Coughlin
More than 100 players performed at Morristown’s Merry Tuba Christmas 2019. Video by Kevin Coughlin
From the National Guard in Sea Girt (L-R): SFC Linda Chapin of Hazlet, Sgt. Robert Knauf of Jackson, SPC William Applegate of South Brunswick and SPC Gabriel Castillo of Fords, at Morristown Merry Tuba Christmas 2019. Video by Kevin Coughlin
Art Charlton traveled from Easton, Pa., to play at Morristown’s Merry Tuba Christmas 2019. Video by Kevin Coughlin

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1 COMMENT

  1. What great silly fun!

    I’ve attended this event for several years and wouldn’t miss it! This annual tradition is now held in many cities all over the country.

    However, I doubt if many other towns’ version of “Tuba Christmas” can boast a small. blue, tuba-shaped kazoo amongst the merry-makers!

    Kudos to Matt Paterno and John Palatucci for their annual commitment.

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