MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) -- It is arguably the most famous Christmas tree in the world, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Sunday afternoon, hundreds of tuba players braved the elements and played Christmas carols right under that world-famous Christmas tree.
For 50 years, hundreds of tuba players of all ages and skill levels have gathered by the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree to share their very festive sound and look for playing Christmas carols.
Some tuba were decorated for the holidays, and others were just being protected from the steady rain.
“It’s just like any other gig,” Chuck McAllister, a tuba player, told PIX11 News. “You just prepare for the rain."
These musicians come from all over the country. Chris Wilham of the New Jersey Wind Symphony conducted them.
Many remembered tuba virtuoso Harvey Phillips, who started this tradition in 1974 to honor his tuba teacher, Willliam J Bell.
“Harvey was a mentor of mine, a fabulous musician and a beautiful man,” Wilham told PIX11 News.
Despite the driving rain all afternoon, family members, tourists and New Yorkers just loved this concert.
“My husband has been preparing for this,” Laura Oweiss, wife of a tuba player, told PIX 11 News.
“I think this is so nice for all the families,” an audience member, Natalie Jennings, told PIX11 News.
“This is what New York is all about,” Sonya Nielson, another audience member, told PIX11 News.
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