Great prizes to be won at Band Cymru competition
BAND Cymru, after auditioning bands of all kinds including orchestral, jazz, wind and brass, has finally made its decision about who will be featured on S4C’s televised competition.
The 12 bands who will be featured are Burry Port, City of Cardiff (Melingriffith), Northop, Beaumaris, Tylorstown, BTM, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cory, Tongwynlais Temperance, 3D Brass, Cardiff University Jazz Society and Royal College of Wales Big Band.
These dozen will be split into four sessions for four television programmes.
The panel of judges will select the best four bands of the 12 after the four television programmes and they will appear at the Great Hall, Swansea University, on Sunday, April 22, in the final. The winner will receive £7,000.
During the semi-finals, the judges will choose the best soloist from the 12 bands who will be invited to perform in the final. The winning soloist will be awarded a prize of £500.
There is also a prize for the best presented piece on stage throughout the competition. The winner of this award will receive £2,000. Each of the 12 bands will receive £500 and the four finalists will receive an additional £500. In additon to the Band Cymru competition, there is also a final for the four best Welsh Youth Bands which takes place at Swansea University on Saturday, April 21.
The four bands involved are Tryfan Jazz Band, Torfaen Youth Big Band, Greater Gwent Youth Brass Band and Cardiff and The Vale Music Services Jazz Orchestra. Each band reaching the final will receive £250.
The S4C competition is organised by Rondo and the finals will be televised.
The 21st Welsh Open Brass Bands Entertainment Championship takes place at the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl on Saturday, February 17, and to date there are 11 bands taking part with the closing date for entries on Saturday, January 6.
Two of the four English bands competing have strong connections with the Welsh Open as Filton Concert Brass, directed by Tom Davoren, were the Welsh Open Champions in 2016 and Paul Holland, who is the new musical director of Wantage Silver Band, conducted the Flowers band for a number of years.
They came down to Porthcawl from Gloucestershire in 2002 and won the title of Welsh Open Champions.
Based in South Oxford, Wantage won the title of Leicester Open Champions in November 2017 and have represented London & Southern Counties at the National Finals in the Royal Albert Hall twice in the past four years.
The present Welsh Open Champion, Tongwynlais Temperance, has yet to enter in order to defend the title. However, there is still time and the restriction on the number of bands taking part in the contest is 16.
The Welsh Open starts at noon and tickets cost £9 (reserved balcony) or £7 (unreserved) and are available on line at www.grandpavilion.co.uk or from the box office on 01656 815995.