Dates for your Diary - 2010
Southern Ireland Tour 2010
The band are planning a return trip to Southern Ireland, probably in August next year. The last tour, which took place in 2006, was a fantastic success, and with the friends that we made on that tour, we will be able to build an even better trip this time. Read more »
CONCERT AT RISCA PRIMARY SCHOOL - 16th October 2008
The band were asked to participate with a local choir in aid of the LMBBS – to give the charity its full name, The Laurence-Mon-Bardet-Bidel Society, a syndrome which has devastating effects on children with less than 400 suffers in the UK. It is a society that receives no Government funding and therefore relies totally on charity donations. The chairman of the Gwent Police Choir, Phil Humphries arranged the concert.
The choir began as usual in stirring form with An African Prayer, Bring him Home and Gwahoddiad. The band under the conductorship of James Jones began their first set with Star Lake, a stirring melody from the repertoire of the Salvation Army Band, following this with Rodrigo’s Adagio Concerto de Aranjuez with soloist Rhys Ward. They concluded their first set with the well-known song from ‘Cats’ – Memory.
The choir then took over for their second set, singing the Gershwin Melody, A tribute to Mr Curwen (with explanations!) and Every Time I feel the Spirit. This was followed by the bands second set consisting of Demelza with soloist Tudor Davies and then a little Disney set consisting of Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King.
After a brief interval the band opened the second half with Amporita Roca, followed by a lovely quartet: Rhys Ward, Lara Jones, Ben Roberts and Kate Blakemore playing a haunting setting of the old Irish Blessing, the words of which begin – ‘May the road rise to meet you…’ They followed this with the song Love Changes Everything.
Then it was the turn of the choir once again who delighted the audience with An American Trilogy, My Lord what a Mornin’ and The Toreador’s song.
For their last set the band chose the song sold ‘He Ain’t Heavy, he’s my brother’ with soloist Lara Jones and to conclude a stirring and varied programme they finished with ‘Hootenanny’ a compilation of ‘cheesy tunes’ blended together for brass band by Harold Walters.
The choir then gave the audience its final set singing the tongue twisting ‘All for the Best’ from Godspell, Nessun Dorma from Turandot and finally Arwell Hughes’ arrangement of Cwm Rhondda. The choir and the band came together for the final number of the evening, which was Comrades in Arms.
