Cyfarthfa to play part in £50m castle attraction
CYFARTHFA Castle is hoping to attract funding of up to £50 million in order to turn it into one of the most visited historical attractions in Wales.
This was the home of Robert Crawshay who owned the ironworks at Merthyr Tydfil until his death in 1879.
He built the house c1824 at a cost of £30,000 – about £3.5 million today – and although he did not always use his immense wealth and power to better the working and living conditions of his employees, as the words on his gravestone, will testify, ‘God Forgive Me’ – he did create the world famous brass band in 1838 – the Cyfarthfa Brass Band.
He bought the instruments, many from Vienna, and the uniforms had 18 carat gold buttons and he got the best players, which included the celebrated ophicleidist Samuel Hughes and provided them with sinecure jobs in the ironworks on a higher rate of pay.
The ophicleide is a brass instrument of bass pitch which is rarely seen these days.
The castle was the base, but not the practice room, for one of the most famous bands in history and they played music arranged by its bandmaster, George Livesey, who used the music of composers like Rossini, Jullien and Meyerbeer.
He arranged some of the pieces within a month of their being premiered in Europe.
In 1860 the band took part in the Crystal Palace brass band contest which had been created by the showman and brass band pioneer, Enderby Jackson.
They won the contest by playing a set of quadrilles by Jackson as well as their own choice of an arrangement of Verdi’s ‘Nabucco.’
Quadrille is a dance for four couples which was popular at the time, as was the music for it.
The Cyfarthfa Band is also believed to have performed what is regarded as one of the first original brass band pieces which was composed by Joseph Parry called ‘Tydfil Overture.’
Robert Crawshay’s wife was an excellent musician and the band became her hobby and she used them to play in the castle gardens for her guests’ entertainment at family engagements and very often in Merthyr town centre.
The band was the only brass band allowed to play at Sophia Gardens as only military bands were considered to be acceptable.
The band in its twilight years had a very strong engagement list which included playing before their majesties King Edward V11 and Queen Alexandra at Caerphilly Castle July13, 1907; Hereford Horseshow; Kington Horseshow; Abergavenny Agricultural Show; Newport Flower Show; Bridgewater Conservative Fete; Aberystwyth Pier; Troedyrhiw Flower Show; Plymouth Sports; Penydarren Park Fete and Gala; Cardiff Corporation Concerts & Co; United Kingdom Commercial Travellers Floral Fete, Cardiff; Institute of Mechanical Engineers Cardiff and RAOB (Royal Antidiluvian Order of Buffaloes) Orphanage Fete and Gala in Cardiff.
Although Crawshay died in 1879 the band continued after the ironworks stopped producing, disbanding just prior to the outbreak of the First World War.
Professor Trevor Herbert, who can often be found giving talks on the early history of brass bands, particularly about the Cyfarthfa Band, managed to rescue many of the original instruments and music folios before they were destroyed after being stored for many years in the loft of the house.
Much of this music has been performed by John Wallace, trumpet player, with the brass ensemble known as the Wallace Collection.
In 1977, the BBC Wales television series, which depicted the emigration of many Welsh families leaving Wales for the Americas, was titled ‘Off To Philadelphia in the Morning’ which had been the title of a popular song in the late 1800s.
The Cyfarthfa Band was featured in the series so the Tredegar Band was engaged to take the role of the Cyfarthfa Band in the series.
In the picture of the Tredegar Band in Cyfarthfa costume, complete with some original instruments, was Tredegar Conductor John Childs, acting as Cyfarthfa Bandmaster, George Livesey, with false moustache, and his son Nicholas Childs on euphonium, who is now the conductor of the famous Black Dyke Band.
It is a fervent hope that the £50 million investment will be upcoming and that the enterprise will certainly bring in these expected 400,000 who will be able to appreciate and enjoy the attractions of the castle and the display which will also encompass a display of the Cyfarthfa Band.
(Thanks to 4BR for info) In a recent article where I mentioned Dennis Masters conducting the two bands who had reached the semi-finals of the BBC Challenging Brass competition in 1971, namely Ransome Hoffman & Pollard and the Langley Band, I could only recall Ransomes reaching the final, but not the other finalist.
I was delighted to receive a telephone call from a bass player with the other band who had made the final.
The other band was none other than the Cory Band conducted by Major Arthur Kenny and the bass player who phoned me was Jeffery Shepherd who is in his early 70s and is still playing with bands in the Rhondda.
Thanks very much to Jeffery who also informed me that Cory was also the 1971 Granada Band of the Year and that was the beginning of the successful run of triumphs which has been enjoyed by Cory ever since.