Here are two free recordings for the Christmas season, both by the U.S. Coast Guard Band Euphonium-Tuba Quartet.

Both are Gary Buttery arrangements from Cimarron Music. Find the sheet music on Cimarron's Euphonium Music Page.

English Folk Christmas (medley)

Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)

Merry Christmas!

On today's date in 1944 during World War II, Air Force Bandleader Glenn Miller was lost somewhere over the English Channel. His band carried on, and later became known as the Airmen of Note (or simply "Note" by other AF musicians).

I am linking up a few holiday songs from the Airmen of Note in honor of Glenn Miller's terrific work.

O Christmas Tree

Oy Chanukah

We Three Kings

Go Tell It On TheMountain

Here's a little diversion if you are getting stressed out. Below are a list of euphonium players. All are living players, and as of a few days ago I could find all of them on YouTube in the first several pages of a search for "euphonium." Each phrase below is a mixed-up version called an anagram. You build an anagram by using all the letters in the name and rearranging them. No letter is duplicated unless it is also duplicated in the actual name. Do not pay attention to where the spaces fall or where the upper-case letters are.

As an example, my name ("Dave Werden") could be either of these two anagrams:
End Red Wave
Ever Dawned

To see the answers, just drag your mouse over the white area below the anagrams to select the hidden text (or use CNTL-A on your PC). But try to figure them out first - it's good for your brain!

NOTE: You may or may not see some names here that you would expect to see. This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Is some cases names were not included simply because I could not find a "cute" anagram of that name in the time I was willing to spend on it. I tended to include only players whose anagrams could make a phrase that seemed to me to have an element of humor.

Here are the euphoniumists:

Vented As Me
Now Rabbi Man
Dye A Farm
Tweet With Ham
Thorny Beach Girl
Farm Hikers
Kinked Acre
Go Rev Mr Root
Old Maced Dish
Cello Mind Rink


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Steven Mead
Vented As Me

Brian Bowman
Now Rabbi Man

Adam Frey
Dye A Farm

Matthew White
Tweet With Ham

Charley Brighton
Thorny Beach Girl

Mark Fisher
Farm Hikers

Derick Kane
Kinked Acre

Trevor Groom
Go Rev Mr Root

Michael Dodds
Old Maced Dish

Riki McDonnell
Cello Mind Rink

Is the budget tight this year? In spite of that do you want some more Christmas music to play at home or on your portable player? No problem! The United States Marine Band has once again made available some of their excellent recordings, which you can download for no charge. Here is the description:

Need the perfect soundtrack for a holiday party, decorating the house, or just sitting by the fire? In a nod to the season, the Marine Band has made three holiday audio selections available for download during the month of December:

• Joy to the World
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

Go to this link to download:
Free MP3 Christmas Music, U.S. Marine Band

(They even look "Christmas-like" in their photo, don't they?):

Legendary former U.S. Navy Band director Donald Stauffer has passed away at the age of 92. He was a tuba player who became director in 1969. Here is his obituary:

Obituary of Donald Stauffer, U.S. Navy Band Director, Retired.

The name Henry Fillmore is synonymous with great marches for band. The Rolling Thunder march is especially favored by low brass because that section is featured to such great effect. This new arrangement for two euphoniums and two tubas gives all players some interesting parts and creates an exciting piece for the audience as well.

The chosen key is the same as the band key, so players familiar with the band version will have an easy time reading this (well, more-or-less easy!). The page below lists the euph-tuba quartet arrangement and also has a link to an MP3 of the piece:

Rolling Thunder March for Euphonium-Tuba Quartet