Galleria to showcase Christmas concerts

Shoppers at the Riverchase Galleria will be treated to live Christmas concerts on two weekends in December.

The Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra is scheduled to make its annual appearance at the mall Sunday, Dec. 8, while a large group of tuba and euphonium players will give a concert Saturday, Dec. 14.

The youth orchestra, which includes 73 young musicians from 26 Alabama schools in six counties, will perform two full concerts between noon and 6 p.m. Dec. 8.

The youth will perform holiday classics. In past years, their performance has included songs from “The Nutcracker” and “White Christmas,” marketing and communications coordinator Taylor Stewart said.

The “Tuba Christmas” concert will be at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 and likely last about 30 minutes or less, said Jeremy Crawford, an assistant professor of tuba and euphonium at the University of Alabama who is organizing this year’s concert.

There likely will be 30 to 50 or so tuba and euphonium players of all ages and skill levels participating, but the event is open to anyone who wishes to participate, so the numbers fluctuate from year to year.

“Tuba Christmas” concerts are part of a national effort organized by the Harvey Phillips Foundation. They have been taking place since the first one occurred in 1974 at New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza ice rink.

The performance at the Riverchase Galleria likely will include 10 to 12 Christmas carols. The group will gather to rehearse somewhere that morning before the afternoon performance. Anyone who wishes to participate can email Crawford at jscrawford@ua.edu.