Bands already preparing for Welsh Open Championships
THE Welsh Open Entertainment Championships take place at Porthcawl on Saturday, February 16.
Some 14 bands will be vying for the title of Welsh Open Champion and City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) will be one of the contestants under new conductor Christopher Bond.
The band dates back to the 18th Century and was very closely associated with T J Powell, the “Welsh Sousa”.
Powell composed some very fine marches, with his favorite march being Castell Coch which he dedicated to the Melingriffith Band.
City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) represented Wales at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in 2018 and gained third place in the Wychavon Entertainment Festival last November.
BTM was formed in 1972 by Cynan Jones, a brass teacher from Blaenau Ffestiniog who came to teach in the Caerphilly area.
He named the band BTM after the three local villages of Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen.
In 1994, BTM were Welsh Champions and represented Wales in the European Championships.
They have represented Wales on 10 occasions at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain and they reached the Final of television’s S4C Band Cymru competition in 2018. BTM have the personnel to do well in the Welsh Open.
The other Welsh bands involved are Abergavenny Borough, Burry Port, Llwydcoed, Pontardulais, Tongwynlais and Tylorstown and they will be facing six English bands, one of which – Filton Concert Brass from Bristol – has won the title twice in the last three years
The others are A W Parker Drybrook from Forest of Dean; Enderby from the Midlands; Jackfield from Shropshire and from the London and Home Counties region Thundersley and Haverhill Silver.