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This year’s TubaChristmas® was marred for this listener by the absence of the tuba soloist due to his illness. The solo performance of “O Holy Night” gives us a rare opportunity to hear a Tuba sing! 

This year was the last for our beloved Manfred Walter, who has played the “announcer” role for maybe 20 years. His English is quite good, of course, but it is heavily influenced by Manfred’s transplantation from Germany. 

We were fortunate to meet Christel Walter on our way in. I used to tune for her and enjoyed getting a little jar of her honey as part of my reward. And I had not realized that Christel was one of Fran’s yarn shop customers!

I was disappointed that I could not hobble down to the stage to see friends, but I did get to see friends Caroline Brown,  Hank Sibley and Richard Kennedy on our way out.

There were not as many tubas there today, it seemed to me. But the concert was still a great way to start the Christmas season. As a former mayor of Columbus, Kathleen McMillian, said, “If this won’t get you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will!”   

 

Garland O. Goodwin

Tryon