HARRIMAN - The mellow brass sound of an all-tuba band resonated throughout the auditorium of Harriman High School on Saturday.
No flutes, no drums, no trumpets - strictly tuba players preformed classic Christmas carols in Harriman's 20th annual TubaChristmas concert.
Kathy Marcinek and her son, Jeff, were two of the 47 tubists who played in the ensemble.
"Its fun to get together with a bunch of tuba players. And I get to play tuba with her, which makes it double fun," said Jeff, a student at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
The Chattanooga pair have been participating in TubaChristmas together for the past two years. Both times, they got into the concert's holiday spirit by decorating their instruments with garland and donning Santa hats.
"We usually do lights, but they don't show up well. We're looking into new modifications for next year," Jeff said.
For 20 years, the TubaChristmas concert has been kicking off Harriman's holiday season. Harriman resident Joseph Williams began organizing TubaChristmas in 1988.
"There are people who look forward to it every year. They say it starts their Christmas season," Williams said.
Harriman's TubaChristmas is one of six in the state, Williams said.
Williams explained that the concerts were started by Harvey Phillips, a professor of music at Indiana University. Phillips wanted a way to pay tribute to his late music professor, William Bell, and showcase the tuba.
"The idea behind TubaChristmas was to get the population to know what a tuba was and what it can do. They do more than um-pah," Williams said.
Robin Bell's husband, Bill, has been participating in TubaChristmas for 15 years.
"This is what Christmas is really about," Robin Bell said. "People coming together and enjoying beautiful music."
She said for many of the tubists, Saturday was the first time they'd played together.
Sande MacMorran, who teaches at the University of Tennesse's School of Music, has led TubaChristmas since it began. He said it can be challenging conducting a band that hasn't played together.
"Hopefully I'm not too strict, but I have been to TubaChristmases which sound awful," MacMorran said.
MacMorran has an hour and a half to practice the selected carols with the band before the performance.
"If it's just one time a year that they play, and by the performance if they play a little bit better, then it's worth it," MacMorran said.
Jenny Ratledge may be reached at 865-342-6432.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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