An organization in the Perry community is preparing to hold an annual holiday showcase today.

The Perry Fine Arts is hosting the fourth Tuba Christmas Concert this afternoon at 1pm at the First United Methodist Church, 1100 3rd Street. According to Fine Arts Chairperson Cathy Clark, the public is invited to come out and enjoy Christmas music, and that any instrumentalists are welcome to join the performance.

“If you play a tuba or euphonium, we want to encourage everybody that wants to play to come and do that. It’s really a good thing, the music is not super difficult, so that even beginner player tubas can come and perform.”

Clark shares that the idea of Tuba Christmas goes back to the 1970s when William Bell, who was practicing to be a band master in Des Moines, suddenly became sick and then came to live with his sister in Perry. Clark explains that Bell then passed away at the Dallas County Hospital in 1971 and is buried in Violet Hill Cemetery, in Perry. 

She adds that the Perry Fine Arts started honoring Bell in 1974 by visiting his grave site on Tuba Day in November to perform and this concert is a way to continue to do so. Clark wants people of all ages, who may want to play their instruments, to register at 10am for $10, then rehearse at 10:30am for the main show that will happen at 1pm.