Christmas concerts to end term

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By Communications Staff
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Fine choirs singing, tubas choirs tooting and hundreds of students and faculty joining in creates organized chaos at the Don Wright Faculty of Music on Dec. 3.

Hear the best voices in the city and the biggest, brassiest ones compete for the spotlight.  
 
At 12:30 the UWO Singers and St. Cecilia Singers herald the holidays with traditional and lesser-known music of the season. The two choirs also represent a contrast, one being traditional soprano, alto, tenor and bass; the other all female voices.
 
Nancy Telfer, a Western alumna, is one of the featured composers. Others include Benjamin Britten and Imant Raminsh, as well as Kirke Mechem’s Seven Joys of Christmas. The music is chosen from around the world.  
 
“Singers and audience members alike enjoy being part of concerts that include some familiar music,” said UWO Singers director Victoria Meredith. “And they go out humming their favourites.”  
 
For the Faculty of Music, this concert launches the afternoon of celebration.  
 
At 4 p.m. Tuba Christmas takes over the main lobby in the Music Building.
 
After a grand entrance of up to 15 tubas and euphoniums (the lowest and biggest brass instruments), the tuba choir leads the festivities, playing carols arranged by J. Scott Irvine. Irvine is the tuba player in the Canadian Opera Company and True North Brass, Western’s artists-in-residence.  
 
Everyone is invited to this free event, and hundreds turn out annually to sing along and join in the fun and food. The Students’ Council provides hot chocolate and treats. But the main attraction is still the booming bass voices of the brass family belting out familiar carols. This year a couple of alumni and two secondary school students are also playing.  
 
“It's total, complete, unorganized chaos as far as I'm concerned,” said Brent Adama, tuba instructor. "Come and sing some Christmas carols at the top of your lungs, and to the accompaniment of a tuba ensemble!! Some of the participants, of course, can really sing.
 
There are usually several hundred students crammed into the lobby; the whole scene is somewhat overwhelming.”  
 
The tradition goes back many years. When the building first opened in the early 1970s, brass choirs would play carols from the tiered balconies in the lobby.  
 
“It's a wonderful opportunity for students, staff and faculty to get together to celebrate and have fun,” said Adams. “My students, in particular, look forward to this every year. 
 
It's their moment to be the stars of the show.  Too often we are relegated to the background. We're the main attraction at Tuba Christmas.
 
“The Grand Entrance from the elevator is part of the performance, and you can expect it this year. I think that it will be hard to top Ken Tangs' entrance last year from inside Glenn Thompsons' tuba case.”  
 
Dec. 3 details
12:30 p.m., Von Kuster Hall, free  
UWO Singers and St. Cecilia Singers perform carols from around the world.   
 
 
4 p.m., Music building lobby, free,
Tuba Christmas: a sing-along with tuba choir, hot chocolate, treats and a visit from St. Nick.   

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