Introducing the Tuba and Euphonium Christmas Companion

Designed to be performed together with traditional holiday arrangements, as well as independently, the carols within the Tuba and Euphonium Christmas Companion bring a fresh update to celebrations of the season. Composed across the 19th and 20th centuries, each work represents a unique story of creativity. The collection includes a brand-new carol, entitled Hens at the Door, inspired by a Christmas letter from beloved New England poet Emily Dickinson. Available for instant download, or shipped in book form, the Tuba and Euphonium Christmas Companion offers new favorites, which encourage performers to gather in the spirit of community.

The collection is dedicated to Connie Weldon (1932-2020), tubist, educator, and administrative leader, in honor of her devotion to making space for tuba and euphonium. Each of the ten works is between 2-4 minutes in length, with the majority arranged at a moderate difficulty level, suitable for high school players and beyond, without requiring extensive rehearsal. The cover artwork was designed by Qiudi Zhang of the 180 Studio, who also created the graphic score maps for the solo works ElevenTwelve, which brings the performer and audience to the German convent of Hildegard von Bingen, and Musicians of the National Gallery, set in the popular museum, as well as the euphonium and tuba duo Nanon, composed for Drs. Gail Robertson and Stacy Baker, bringing the two players into a detailed map of seventeenth-century Paris. The collection also offers detailed program notes, honoring these historic performers, composers, and music publishers for their vision, strength of purpose, and faith in the power of music.

The Tuba and Euphonium Christmas Companion includes a new work, Hens at the Door, composed by Joanna Hersey. Poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) has long mystified scholars, who often wish they knew more about the life of this famed Amherst, Massachusetts personality. Well-educated and skilled with her pen, Emily left thousands of poems and letters which provide modern readers a tantalizing look into her secluded life. Centering her New England roots, Emily’s poetry and letters capture the spirit and wisdom of an agile mind. Her life was lived in opposition to the social norms of the time, serving as a role model for independence. In December of 1880, Emily wrote a letter to a young friend in which she described her Christmas holiday. The letter notes, “The Hens came to the Door with Santa Claus,” and continues with a delightful description of holiday joy. As inspiration for a new carol, this letter sparks a reminder of time spent with loved ones, a centering of the spirit of giving, and the importance of slowing down, to savor the warmth of the season. To hear the premiere of Hens at the Door, join the Pawleys Island Concert Band TubaChristmas celebration, held at Coastal Carolina University on December 13th, 2025.

The final tune in the collection is a fast-paced, chromatic romp through a Brazilian carnival. Composer Francisca, known as Chiquinha, Gonzaga combined a career in music with activism and strength of purpose. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1847, and trained in the musical arts as a young girl, Francisca began composing at the age of eleven. Her mother, Maria Rose de Lima, who was of African descent, and her father José, a military officer, encouraged her musical training. She would write more than two thousand works over her lifetime, including many in the ‘choro’ genre, a new style emerging in Brazil at that time, which was a merging of African and Portuguese styles. In addition to her performance and composing, she was active in the abolitionist movement, donating sales from her music to the cause of freedom. She also wrote many plays, and was active as a conductor and educator. Her work Vivo O Carnaval was composed in 1884 in a polka style, perfectly capturing the spirit of celebration through arpeggiated leaps and chromaticism.

For performance in celebration at any time of the year, the ten works included in the Tuba and Euphonium Christmas Companion contribute repertoire for low brass which is joyful and approachable. By introducing lesser-known composers such as Ohio organist and hymn composer Lelia Naylor Morris, together with works by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Charles Albert Tindley, Francisca Gonzaga, and more, the collection provides melodies for tuba and euphonium players to enjoy across the holiday season and beyond.

The Tuba and Euphonium Christmas Companion – Table of Contents

Photos (L to R):

• A fine example of the tradition of decorating instruments for performances, this tuba, complete with lights, decorated a recent TubaChristmas celebration in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Santa and this lovely example of a double-bell contributed joyful noise at Pawleys Island TubaChristmas.
• Thank you to this fine Pawleys Island TubaChristmas team for providing year-round musical inspiration for their community.