Pace never slows for our hard-working musicians
IT never ceases to amaze me how busy our top brass bands are and how they manage the practicalities of actually being present at the various public concerts and contest venues and still find the time to create a number of CD recordings which usually take a full weekend to complete.
I just thought I would give our bands a little reminder of the amount of time that is demanded by the high flying bands which is in addition to the extra highly concentrated rehearsals which are certainly required just to maintain a position among the Top 10 bands in Britain.
The photos show Philip Harper conducting Cory while accompanying tenor horn virtuoso Owen Farr in creating a solo CD over the weekend of June 10 and 11.
Cory librarian and ex soprano player Gwyn Thomas sent the photos and referred to the weekend as a superb achievement after two ‘gruelling’ days of extreme concentrated application.
“It is a CD to savour and will be released later this year”, says Gwyn. With Owen is one of the producers, who happens to be Owen’s former tutor and ex principal tenor horn player with Black Dyke Sandy Smith, and they appear to be in deep concentration regarding the intricacies of the compositions.
Like Cory, Tredegar are ‘forever on the go’ and they have just returned from a highly successful weekend working with musicians and student bandmasters at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, Twickenham.
Ian Porthouse, the Tredegar Town Brass Band musical director, and a team of players enjoyed a day leading masterclasses and tutoring on the Friday with players from the three professional bands of the Corps of Army Music – The Band of The Royal Corps of Signals, The Band of The King’s Division and The Band of The Prince of Wales Division.
On Saturday, Tredegar joined musicians from Rendle VC Troup of the Royal Military School of Music and Havering Music Services to perform a special Concert in the Park on the famous ‘rock’ bandstand which was appreciated by a large audience.
The programme featured each of the student bandmasters conducting various items ranging from the classics to light concert music.
Dewi Griffiths, Tredegar’s cornet soloist wowed the audience with his stunning playing and the chief instructor of the Royal Military School of Music, Major E E Frost, said: “The inclusion of Tredegar was a significant plus and I enjoyed meeting and working with Ian and his team.
“Equally, the quality of Tredegar Town Band’s musicians was really impressive, with Dewi Griffith’s solo being a particular highlight for me”
Ian Porthouse gave thanks for the invitation to the band and said: “It has strengthened links with the Corps of Army Music and it was a pleasure to work with musicians of such professionalism.
“The depth and quality of their musical talent is remarkable.
“The concert was superb and was a real highlight for the band and one that we hope to repeat again in the future.”
Following that weekend, on Wednesday June 21, Tredegar Town Band as the Brass Band in Residence at the Birmingham Conservatoire linked up with the Conservatoire Brass Band, under the direction of Ian Porthouse, to present significant compositions which span different musical eras of the brass band medium at St Paul’s Church, Birmingham.
Featured were Tenor Horn Concerto by Gareth Wood and played by Tredegar’s Christopher Davies, Pagaentry by Herbert Howells, an icon classic and composers Oliver Waespi, Liz Lane and Dorothy Gates.
The Concert was aptly named Brass Splendour, Past, Present, Future.
Thanks to Iwan Fox, Tredegar President, of www.4barsrest. com, for photographs and information.
Saturday, July 22 Sunday, July 2 – Sunday, July 9 – Sunday, July 16 – Sunday, July 23 – Sunday, July 30 – Sunday, August 6 – Sunday, August 13 –
Tredegar Town Band – Aneurin Bevan Day Monmouth Big Band Tredegar Male Voice Choir Crosskeys Silver Band The Skyliner Big Band Markham & District Band Ebbw Valley Brass.
All free entry. Concerts 3pm-5pm.