‘Tubas can sing too’
Published 5:42 pm Thursday, January 31, 2008
Cascade Symphony presents their second annual Children’s Concert Feb. 2 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, featuring a performance of Kleinsinger’s “Tubby the Tuba” and Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite.”
“Tubby the Tuba,” an orchestral piece written and composed by Paul Tripp and George Kleinsinger at the end of World War II, has gone on to become both a book and two films, and has been translated into 30 languages.
The story is told that in 1941, following the performance of Tripp and Kleinsinger’s first musical collaboration, they thanked the musicians, including the tuba player, who said “You know, tubas can sing, too.” That night Tripp sat down and wrote a story about how a tuba found a melody to play, and later he and Kleinsinger translated the story into music. But it wasn’t until after the end of WWII that “Tubby the Tuba” was performed in public.
In 2006 “Tubby the Tuba” was enshrined in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry as one of the landmarks in American audio history. In addition to “Tubby,” Tripp and Kleinsinger also collaborated on a series of musical works for children including “The Further Adventures of Tubby,” “PeeWee the Piccolo,” “The Story of Celeste,” and “Adventures of a Zoo.”
At the Feb. 2 concert Tubby the Tuba will be “played” by CSO tubist Dave Brewer, with narration by Seattle radio personality Dave Dolacky.
Maurice Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite” (Ma Mère l’Oye) was first composed in 1910 as practice piano pieces for the children of family friends. In 1911, at the request of choreographer Jeanne Hugard, Ravel orchestrated the five movements, with prelude and interludes, as a ballet score. Later he assembled the movements into an orchestral suite, featuring “Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty,” “Hop-o’ My Thumb,” “Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas,” “Conversation of the Beauty and the Beast” and “The Fairy Garden.”
For this special concert, admission is free for children under 12 with a paying adult, but tickets must be requested in advance through CSO at 425-776-4938.
