Tredegar take part in Guards Brass concert
ON Sunday, July 1, the Welsh website covering banding activities all over the world – 4 Bars Rest – wrote about the bands of the Household Division holding their annual music festival based at the wonderful Royal Military Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace.
The events featured soloists, ensembles and bands from each of the regiments based there.
Visitors from all over the world were able to walk in and hear the music free of charge.
During the week there have also been performances by the Guards Big Band, the Band of the Grenardier Guards, The Countess of Wessex String Orchestra, the Band of the Scots Guards and Guards French Horns.
The centrepiece this year was a performance of Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis, specially arranged by WO C1 Andrew Porter and Chris Davies, of Tredegar Band, for a concert given by Guards Brass.
Members of all the guards’ bands took part to supply the 40 players playing the eight quintet parts which are the ‘voices.’
Among the quintets was one from Tredegar Band.
Chris Davies, arranger and Tredegar horn player in the quintet said: “The result was stunning – especially in such an evocative venue and wonderful acoustic here at the Guards Chapel.”
The 70th anniversary of the National Health Service was being celebrated both in Tredegar where Tredegar Band was giving a world premiere of part of a new brass band work by Tom Davoren entitled Legacy in Bedwellty Park on July 1 and it was played again by Tredegar Band in the State Chambers of The Houses of Parliament on Thursday, July 5.
On Friday, June 29, there was a programme on Radio 4 entitled Out of Tredegar with actor Michael Sheen exploring the rich legacy of Aneurin Bevan.
There was a sneak preview of Tom Davoren’s work featuring Tredegar’s soprano player, Ian Roberts, on the programme.
Local people who knew Aneurin Bevan were interviewed including Tredegar Band Vice-President Iwan Fox and Chairman Alwyn Powell.
Tredegar never seem to stop playing for on Monday, July 2, they were in their bandroom rehearsing with world famous Argentinian trombone player Lito Fontana on a piece of music that they will be playing at Innsbruck at the end of this month.