Music is an integral part of holiday celebrations, so it may come as no surprise that the December Readers Choice Award for best holiday lights goes to a Shoreline home with a display of symphonic proportions.
The Reid home, at 15038 Linden Ave. N., was overwhelmingly selected by Enterprise readers for its whimsical musically themed holiday decor. Green, red and white lights highlight the roof line, while trees are ornamented with large sparkling decorations as thousands of lights spiral up trees branches and wind through foliage to illuminate the yard. But the crowning touch to the display, according to neighbors and seasonal visitors, is the lighted tuba on the roof.
“This house is a true work of art (as it is every year!),” said Beth Koutsky of Seattle.
“It’s vast, colorful and unique,” Pam Plowman of Seattle agreed. “The tuba on the roof is the best part!”
Neighbor Bill Davies doesn’t have to travel far for his “favorite place to see Christmas lights,” Rick Caral, on the other hand, travels all the way from Portland, Ore. because the Reid house simply “has the best lights!”
“We always add it to our Christmas lights drive by list,” said Seattle resident Sharon Adjiri. “With all the different colors and ornaments that hang in the yard, this one is a must see. The true topper to this light spectacle is the tuba on the roof of the house. A real tribute to the wonderful musicians that live inside!”
Those musicians include Shoreline Community College music faculty member Doug Reid and his son Sam, a Shorewood High School student and saxophone player. Doug Reid is the director of the college’s Jazz Ensemble and the Saxophone Ensemble. Earlier this year Sam Reid was accepted into the All-Northwest Honor Groups which performed in concert in conjunction with the Music Educators Northwest Conference in Portland, Ore.
“It’s not often you see a tuba decorated with Xmas lights and attached to the chimney,” Doug Reid admits. The tuba is just a visual accompaniment to the real treat that awaits visitors, however. “If you listen closely, you can even hear the Harvey Phillips Tuba Consortium playing carols in the background,” Reid said.
Reid’s wife Charla, who is also Museum Designer for Seattle’s Frye Art Museum, is very proud of her family’s holiday “architects,” and sums up the sentiments of readers who selected their home for the award: “This house has lots of Christmas Spirit!”
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