Welcome their new musical director
BLAENAVON Town Band are pleased to announce that their new musical director is Dr Christian Jenkins.
Having played a brass instrument from the age of 11, Christian took an early interest in conducting and became the musical director of the Briton Ferry Silver Band in 2003.
He steered them through the most successful period of their history, gaining promotion from the 3rd to the 1st Section and oversaw the band’s centenary celebrations in 2010.
Christian has subsequently worked with many bands throughout South Wales, but still maintains a close association with Briton Ferry as a player.
A band spokesman said: “It is fantastic news that someone of Christian’s calibre and experience has agreed to conduct the band as it starts to rebuild and we are very much looking forward to working with him to consolidate our strong core of players and develop the potential of our younger players.”
Christian said: “I’m delighted to be taking up the Conductorship at Blaenavon Town Band.
“Having worked with them a few times in the past, I’m very much looking forward to rekindling the relationship and strong rapport we shared.
“The band committee and I have already been discussing our shared vision for the future and have some exciting ideas as to how we take things forward.
“The band is one with a proud and rich history and I’m thrilled to be a part of this next chapter!”
After a short summer break senior rehearsals started back on Thursday, September 30, and the band would love to hear from anyone interested in joining as either a senior or junior player or administrator – please send an email to: paul.m@aol.com for more information.
The junior band, taken by the experienced Evan Smith, has carried on through the tough lockdown months on Zoom and had a showcase event to show what they had learned at the Constitutional Club at Blaenavon on Tuesday, October 5.
A very popular brass band contest, The Bolsover Festival, took place on October 3 where, despite the ravages of Covid resulting in a number of bands having to withdraw, there were still a good number of bands involved.
I was very pleased to see the Langley Band get to the podium in the First Section as runner-up to Milton Keynes.
I spent 10 great years playing with Langley in the 1970s and still have many friends from those days.
I find it quite sad that bands I played with, like William Davies, Fisher & Ludlow, Ransome & Marles, Hoffman & Pollard and Jones & Crossland are no more, although after many name changes the City of Birmingham Band is a distant remnant of the old Fisher & Ludlow band.
I still look to see how the bands that I had some connection with such as Shirley Band, Amington Band, West Midlands Police and West Mercia Police are faring and still wish them all well.