John Skelton has a friend who’s not too fond of tubas.
But the veteran Salem musician said that’s no barrier to enjoying Salem Tuba Holiday, the classic Christmas Eve concert returning to the Elsinore Theatre this year.
“I said, ‘You might want to give this a try. It’s sort of like getting in a hot tub. You just relax and hear this beautiful rich sound,” he said.
The concert is a Salem favorite dating back to the late 1990s. Amateur and professional musicians are invited to participate, playing tuba, euphonium and baritone highlighting sections who usually take a supporting role in ensembles.
Skelton and his wife Toni have organized the show for a decade. Skelton, the musical director of Salem Symphonic Winds, serves as the conductor for the 90 minute program, which includes 22 musical selections this year.
He’s especially excited because last year’s show was canceled at the last minute due to an ice storm.
Though there’s some rehearsal the week before, players can register the morning of, playing a two-hour rehearsal just before the show at noon.
“It has this unique vibe about it,” said Thomas Janssen, a euphonium player from Keizer who’s been participating regularly since 2016. “People are really friendly and there’s a really good humor around the whole thing. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. I think that’s the thing that draws me in every time.”
Janssen began playing trumpet in fifth grade before switching to euphonium while attending McNary High School because he got braces.
He ended up falling in love with it.
“There were a lot of interesting opportunities that presented themselves,” he said.
He’s now completing a doctorate of musical arts at the University of Oregon. Janssen said he appreciates that the Salem Tuba Holiday selections are arranged by local musicians, and said he especially enjoys performing the Nutcracker arrangement.
“It’s so fun to do. It’s a little trickier than stuff you would find at these other tuba Christmastime events but I think it usually ends up working out in the end,” he said.
About half of the selections are sing-alongs where the audience can participate. Words are projected on screen to help people get past the well-remembered first verses of carols.
“There’s a little less faking it in the audience that way. It’s not just the grandparents who know all those tunes,” Skelton said.
Other irreverent songs include a tango “with hints of ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,’” he said.
But the show isn’t all for laughs. Jeff Witt will return as a featured vocalist, and several of the selections are more somber. That includes “In the Bleak Midwinter,” an English poem commonly performed as a carol.
“I’ve been told by one family that they lost someone during the holidays and that piece is really a memorial to them,” Skelton said. “Some of these have meanings that go deeper for some of the audience members than anyone could imagine. We try to honor those relationships in the community that we’ve learned about over the years as well.”
Skelton said over the years, many friendships have developed among regular players, and some families have multiple generations performing.
Though sousaphone players are not invited, Skelton said musicians aren’t turned away if they show up with one. His goal is to keep the sound fluid and warm
“We ask them to be especially considerate of how they blend rather than trying to penetrate the eardrum of everyone in the audience,” he said.
The concert is held at noon on Sunday, Dec. 24, at the Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. S.E.Tickets are $10 in advance and come with assigned seating. Day-of-show tickets are $15.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
