Every December, as lights twinkle across Ames, a different kind of sparkle fills Stephens Auditorium. It’s not glitter or tinsel – it’s the golden brass of tubas, euphoniums, baritones and sousaphones, gleaming under stage lights and booming with holiday cheer.
This year marks the 15th annual Ames TubaChristmas, a celebration that has grown from humble beginnings at First United Methodist Church into a full blown spectacle at Stephens Auditorium, where about 2,600 seats welcome families, friends and curious listeners.
The free concert will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and low-brass players are invited to arrive at 1 p.m. for registration and practice.
If history is any guide, the stage will be packed with more musicians than Santa has elves. Last year, 251 low‑brass players filled Stephens’ stage, and this year, organizers are aiming even higher.
TubaChristmas is a symphony of oom-pah and awe
Forget the stereotype of tubas as the punchline of the band. Under the direction of Mike Golemo, Ames’ own maestro and Iowa State University’s director of bands, these instruments sing – warm, resonant and merry enough to make even Scrooge tap his foot.
“It’s not just sound you hear,” Golemo said. “It’s sound you feel.”
And feel it you will, as carols like “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World” rumble through the auditorium with a richness only a couple hundred tubas can deliver. The audience is invited to sing along to many of the classic carols, and there are plenty of family-friendly jokes along the way.
Calling all low-brass players
Musicians are welcome starting at age 12, and players in the past have included people in their 80s.
Players must bring their instrument, a music stand and a festive spirit. Decorating your horn is highly encouraged. Nothing says “holiday cheer” like a tuba wrapped in twinkle lights or tinsel.
Ames TubaChristmas registration forms will be available at 1 p.m. Saturday or can be filled out online, printed off and brought to the event. See amestubachristmas.com for more information.
Musicians must enter Stephens Auditorium at the stage door entrance on the south side of the building between 1 and 1:45 p.m.
The registration fee for musicians is $15, and the first 275 registrants will receive a 2025 TubaChristmas button.
TubaChristmas honors Iowan William Bell
Behind the spectacle of TubaChristmas lies a deeper story.
Born in Creston, Iowa on Christmas Day in 1902, William J. Bell became the world’s most celebrated tubist, playing with John Philip Sousa, Arturo Toscanini and the New York Philharmonic.
“When Bell passed away in 1971, he was laid to rest here in Perry, where his sister lived,” the Hotel Pattee in Perry posted on Facebook. “Today, the Bill Bell Room inside the Hotel Pattee honors his unmatched legacy, reminding us that music (no matter the instrument) has the power to lift hearts and change history.”
Harvey Phillips, one of Bell’s students, had the idea for TubaChristmas in 1974, three years after Bell’s death. Today, thousands of low-brass musicians across the country participate in concerts in more than 300 locations.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: TubaChristmas is bringing its big sound back to Stephens Auditorium
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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