Musicians perform fitting tribute to founder of NHS
ANEURIN Bevan Day was being celebrated in Bedwellty Park, Tredegar on Sunday, July 2, and helping the community to celebrate the achievements of the founder of the NHS was the Tredegar Town Band, who through its musical professionalism has gained worldwide recognition in its own right.
Prior to the band presenting a musical programme, poetry readings and political speeches about the NHS were given by a number of young children and it quickly became clear that Aneurin Bevan was just the vanguard of political acumen in Tredegar as there are already some accomplished young politicians following his trail who are likely to be going to make a mark in the political future of Tredegar.
It was a glorious day as Tredegar Band started their Aneurin Bevan Celebratory Concert with Enter The Galaxies by PaulLovett Cooper which certainly gripped the crowd and even stopped the youngsters on their scooters as they looked and listened with awe at the absolute brilliance of the speed of tongue and fingers being performed by the players. What a show stopper of a piece of music.
Seventy years ago, Tredegar Band played The Diamond Cross in Bedwellty bandstand and their present President, Brian Buckley, was the Principal Cornet at the age of about 10. Brass band compositions have certainly moved on since those days, certainly with the introduction of the percussion section which was never used in those days. The mood changed with the artistic playing of Flowerdale from Hymn of The Highlands by Soprano Cornet player Ian Roberts.
This very controlled style continued with Danny Winder playing Gaelic Blessing on Flugel Horn followed by guest Tenor Horn player Lowenna Taylor who gave an accomplished performance of Goff Richards Over The Rainbow.
This quiet mesmeric atmosphere was immediately shattered by six cornet players playing a Trio for Cornets entitled Buglers’ Holiday and the louder and faster it got the more the six players seemed to enjoy it.
The audience loved it as all six played outside on the apron in front of the bandstand.
Student Trombonist Ryan Richards, on his final year at the Birmingham Conservatoire, followed this cornet brilliance with even more technical playing by presenting a trombone solo Fantastic Polka with which he had beaten professional players in a recent solo competition in Europe!
Tredegar Band is certainly a band which is jam packed with great soloists!
The James Bond Selection by Goff Richards had the crowd tapping their feet to the music as the first half was brought to a close. The second half continued with Cross of Honour which was recognised from the film Brassed Off.
Danny Winder played Pie Jesu, from Requiem, with a beautiful controlled Flugel Horn sound and the band followed with Disney Fantasy as a tribute to an American guest in the crowd who was visiting relatives in Tredegar on her way to Wimbledon tennis.
Ian Porthouse, Musical Director of Tredegar Band, never misses an opportunity to draw the audience into the atmosphere created by the band.
There is a constant dialogue between himself and his players which the crowd become involved with and they feel the warmth and respect that is engendered by this team of players and their conductor.
He has an easy relaxed style which seems to link band and audience so that the band and crowd become a familiar entity.
Dewi Griffiths, the band Principal Cornet brought back memories of Philip McCann, who played the music for the TV series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, as he played the piece with poise and total accuracy.
He had spent the previous evening as the guest soloist at a concert in the West of England with the Boscombe Salvation Army and Friary Guildford band conducted by Frank Renton.
Ceri John, a member of the bass section, wrote Gypsy Dance specifically for last year’s Band Cymru band Competition on S4C, which Tredegar won, and the audience could certainly understand how they won when listening to their brilliant playing.
Be My Love, a lovely melody arranged for band by Ray Farr brought Euphonium player Martin Patterson to the fore and his sound was just about the sweetest that I have heard for a very long time.
The band ended their programme with MacArthur Parkwhich really allowed the band to show its quality of sound in all sections and it was worth coming along just to hear this piece being played.
What a fabulous afternoon’s entertainment!