Double Delight for Tredegar
Tredegar Town Band under the direction of Ian Porthouse are celebrating for the second year in a row as they were crowned Welsh Champions today at the contest’s new venue in the Swansea University’s Bay Campus. Following a terrific performance of Philip Sparke’s ‘A Tale as yet Untold’ from the number 1 draw, adjudicators David Hirst and Alan Morrison placed them ahead of the rest in Wales winning qualification to the National Championships in London and an invitation to the 2021 European Championships in Malmö, Sweden.
The current National and European Champions Cory and MD Philip Harper were pushed into second place today with Llwydcoed and conductor Chris Turner gaining a qualification spot for London from third place. Commenting on the win Tredegar’s principal cornet player Dewi Griffiths stated, “It’s never easy competing against the best band in the world, but on the odd occasion when we win, it makes it that much sweeter!”
Congratulations are also in order for the qualifiers for the Lower Section National Finals in Cheltenham later this year, particularly BTM, Taff Vale, Seindorf Beaumaris and Cwmtawe who were declared winners of their respective sections.
Full results:
Championship Section
1. Tredegar Town Band - Ian Porthouse
2. Cory Band - Philip Harper
3. Llwydcoed - Christopher Turner
4. City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) M1 - Christopher Bond
5. Tongwynlais Temperance - Carl Saunders
6. Northop Silver - John Doyle
7. Ebbw Valley - Nigel Seaman
Tredegar Town Band qualified for National Final and to represent Wales at the 2021 European Championships
Llwydcoed qualified for National Final
Cory Band pre-qualified for National Final
Best Instrumentalist: Ross Dunne (horn) — Tredegar Town Band
Best Basses: Tredegar Town Band
Best Principal Cornet: Tom Hutchinson (Cory)
First Section:
Test Piece: Legacy (Tom Davoren)
Adjudicators: Alan Morrison and Jonathan Pippen
1. BTM (Jeff Hutcherson)*
2. Tylorstown (Gary Davies)*
3. Deiniolen (Lois Eifion)
4. Lewis Merthyr (Craig Roberts)
5. Parc & Dare (Lewis Wilkinson)
6. Pontardulais Town (Paul Jenkins)
7. Newport Borough (Robin Hackett)
*Qualify for National Final
Best Instrumentalist: Dylan Williams (cornet) — Deiniolen
Second Section:
Test Piece: The Golden Sabre — Tales of the Hussar-Poet, Denis Davydov (Kit Turnbull)
Adjudicators: Nicholas Garmen and David Hirst
1. Taff Vale (Gareth Ritter)*
2. Abertillery Town (Alun F Williams)*
3. Markham & District (Jayne Thomas)
4. Ammanford Town Silver (Glyn Davies)
5. Abergavenny Borough (Lana Tingay)
6. Mid Rhondda (Thomas Coaches) (Alan Gibbs)
7. Royal Buckley Town (Keith Jones)
8. Seindorf Arian Crwbin (Andrew Jones)
9. Penclawdd (Tony Small)
10. Newtown Silver (Steve Edwards)
*Qualify for National Final
Best Instrumentalist: John Jones (euphonium) — Abertillery Town
Best Percussion: Taff Vale
Third Section:
Test Piece: Endurance (Andrew Baker)
Adjudicators: Jonathan Pippen and Glyn Williams
1. Seindorf Beaumaris (Clive Zwanswiniski)*
2. Usk (James Jones)*
3. Briton Ferry Silver (Jeff Pearce)
4. Gwaun Cae Gurwen (Robert Burnett)
5. Mellingriffith 2 (Martyn Ford)
6. RAF St Athan Voluntary (Alan Bourne)
7. Ynyshir (Dean Evans)
8. Severn Tunnel (Dan Dennis)
*Qualify for National Final
Best Instrumentalist: Katherine Gaunt (baritone) — Seindorf Beaumaris
Fourth Section:
Test Piece: Neverland (Christopher Bond)
Adjudicators: Nicholas Garmen and Jonathan Pippen
1. Cwmtawe (Wayne Pedrick)*
2. Crosskeys Silver (Sion Rhys Jones)*
3. Seindorf Arian yr Oakeley (Paul Wilson MBE)
4. Buckley Brass (Steve Pugh-Jones)
5. Oakdale Silver (Kerry Bowden)
6. Northop (Aled Williams)
7. Ogmore Valley Silver (Danny Stone)
8. Newbridge Celynen (Geraint Barnes)
*Qualify for National Final
Best Instrumentalist: Heather Jones (cornet) — Buckley Brass
Youngest Player: Becca Hogg (Northop) — aged 10
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