What do you get when you put a couple dozen tuba players inside a busy department store right before the holidays?

How about a Merry Tuba Christmas?

That was the scene Saturday afternoon as a group of musicians playing the big, deep-sounding brass instruments performed inside Parisian at the Village of Rochester Hills.

It was part of the national Tuba Christmas movement, started in 1974 as a tribute to the late tuba musician and teacher William J. Bell, who was born on Christmas Day in 1902.

Anyone can organize a group of tuba musicians and call it a Tuba Christmas event.

The Village performance was organized through Oakland University and conducted by Dr. Ken Kroesche.

If you are interested in performing with a Tuba Christmas group, visit www.TubaChristmas.com. The next southeast Michigan performance is 3 p.m. next Sunday at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit.

Patch thanks Chris Scarlett for these photos!