Tribune Chronicle / Bob Coupland Newton Falls resident Bob Dillie, 90, performs Sunday during the Tuba Christmas concert at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown. At 90, Dillie was the oldest of those performing which also included middle and high school students.

YOUNGSTOWN — Although they may have varied in age from 13 to 90 and had different amounts of musical experience, the one thing they each had in common was the love of playing the tuba.

The near 200 tuba players from the local area gathered Sunday afternoon to take part in the 20th annual local Tuba Christmas performance held at Stambaugh Auditorium.

Wes O’Connor, the director of the event and band director at Austintown Fitch High School, said for 20 years each December, area tuba players have gathered to perform a free holiday concert. The first event was held at Eastwood Mall in Niles, followed by other performances at the Eastwood Expo Center in Niles and now, for the last four years, at Stambaugh Auditorium.

Worldwide, there are more than 300 such concerts held in United States as well as in other countries such as Norway and Australia, O’Connor said. The first Tuba Christmas was held in 1974, at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, to show what a tuba can do.

O’Connor said to add to the festive holiday theme, performers dressed in holiday attire and also decorated their tubas. There is a contest among performers to see who has the best decorated tuba, he said.

“This is our way of all coming together to celebrate the holiday season. This has become a novelty. You don’t see concerts like this very often. The people who play tubas don’t get to play together often. The tuba and baritone parts of a regular concert are small. This lets us show what the instrument can do in playing the melody,” O’Connor said.

Bob Dillie of Newton Falls, at age 90, was the oldest participant, seated in the center of the performers.

“I have been playing with the group since they started and even before that was playing (the tuba),” he said. “I remember the Eastwood Mall and all the crowds we had there.”

Sunday’s performance also drew a large crowd.

Hubbard High School band director Dan Nestich, who has participated for 19 years, said, “the event is great. The only thing that has changed is the venue.”

Niles McKinley High School band director Stephen Orlando took part in the event, as did 10 of his students, including two who are age 13.

Morgan Gillie,15, of Niles, a sophomore at Niles McKinley, said this is her first year taking part

“(Orlando) has been part of this for several years and asked us if we wanted to be part. He said it is fun,” Gillie said.

Keegan Yale, 14, a Niles Middle School eighth grader, said participants received the songs for the concert ahead of time in order to practice.

“It’s a fun way to welcome in the holidays,” she said.

Thomas Rossi, 14, a Niles eighth grader, first took part a year ago.

“When I was here last year, I had a lot of fun,” Rossi said.

Cameron Thompson, 17, a senior at Niles, said, “it is interesting to be able to get this many people together who play the tuba and all be the center of attention.”

One of the youngest participants, Autumn Fowler, 13, a seventh grader from Niles, said the event helps provide experience of performing in front of a large audience. She said she plans to take part again next year.

Mineral Ridge High School band members also took part.

Mel Brown of Mineral Ridge said her son, Allen Ropp, 16, a freshman at Mineral Ridge, was excited to be part of the performance.

“He is a little shy, but he is excited to be part of this. His wanting to do something like this is huge. Band has given him a pathway we didn’t know. He loves the tuba,” Brown said.

Erin Yale of Niles said it was nice to see her son, Keegan, and the others perform on stage.

“It’s nice there is a such a wide variety of people playing. It’s nice to watch them all play,” she said.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com