Snarky Tuba was recently released by Mark Records of Buffalo, New York, who has produced all of the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble recordings over the years. Snarky was presented last spring and featured guest artists in the rhythm sections and lead horn players in an all jazz concert. Snarky Tuba is available through the tuba and euphonium studio at Tech for supporters of studio activities.
Following its 50th anniversary season last year, the ensemble will perform works not originally composed for tubas but are transcribed from other sources are a major part of the repertoire this fall season.
Sometimes called the three B s of classical music, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms are often recognized by classical music enthusiasts. The ensemble will be performing perhaps the most famous of all Johann Sebastian Bach s compositions, Toccata and Fugue in D minor as transcribed for the tuba ensemble by ensemble director R. Winston Morris. The Beethoven feature is called Beethoven 9 to 5 with obvious quotes from the ninth and fifth symphonies. This will be the world premiere performance of this piece arranged by Tech alumnus Dan Boone. In addition to other pieces, the grand finale will feature special guest artist Joy Rachor on the organ performing the famous finale to the Saint-Sa ns Symphony No. 3, the Organ Symphony.
The Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble is recognized internationally as the leading group of its kind and has 29 recording projects, eight Carnegie Hall appearances, two World s Fairs performances, numerous national and international conference engagements, a 51 year history of performances from Preservation Hall in New Orleans to the Spoleto Festival in Charleston to the Kennedy Center in Washington and is responsible for the composition and arrangement of more music for the tuba and euphonium than any other single source.
The Octubafest performance on Nov. 9 is free and open to the public. The Bryan Fine Arts Building is located at 1150 N. Dixie Avenue in Cookeville.