RWCMD gets Festive at St David’s Hall
The Brass Band of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama performed a lunchtime concert to a very appreciative crowd of almost 900 today in St David’s Hall, Cardiff. The programme contained a festive blend of lyrical melodies that allowed the talented young soloists from within the band to shine, in addition to more modern toe-tapping medleys and of course plenty of opportunities for audience participation too.
The concert was presented and conducted by Dr Robert Childs, Head of Brass Band Studies at the RWCMD, whose charm and wit had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand and shouting for more when the final piece had been played.
The concert featured two of the college’s conducting students, Neil Brownless and Lewis Wilkinson, who took the helm for the opening number of ‘A Christmas Fanfare’ and ‘Christmas Song’ respectively. Instead of three wise men the RWCMD gave us three euphonium players, Danny Jones, Ruth Mellor and Josh Dickens, who enchanted the audience with their beautiful rendition of O Holy Night. Perhaps the warmest reception of the afternoon though was given to the frostiest of soloists as tuba player Gregor Spence treated the crowd to a virtuosic and humourous version of Frosty the Snowman (pictured).
The lunchtime concert has become an annual feature for the Brass Band and St David’s Hall and it really is credit to the students and staff at RWCMD that each year, the audience continues to grow with both young and old returning year on year to enjoy this fine display of brass playing so warmly led by Bob Childs.
.gif)
