Brecon Town Concert Band is a community based wind band that was formed in 1967. The current band comprises about 65 m usicians of all age range and abilities who enjoy making music together. All woodwind, brass and percussion players are welcome to join the Band which rehearses every Monday evening between 7 and 9 pm at The Studio, Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. There is level access and a large car park. We have a stock of instruments that are available for learners of all ages to try for a trial period of 2 weeks. The instruments are issued free of any charge and are fully insured by the Band. If after the two week trial period the young person/learner would like to retain the instrument to learn, we ask that they formally join the Band and attend rehearsals and events when they are confident. The Band also has a stock of instruments that would suit the more accomplished musician.
The Band performs between 15 and 25 engagements each year and regularly performs at Brecon and Llanigon Shows; Llandovery Sheep Festival; The Hay-on Wye Food Festival; the Hay-on-Wye Christmas Food Festival and the Brecon Food Festival. Tenby harbour is also a favourite with the Band and we perform there most years. The majority of the music we perform outdoors has a strong rhythmic beat. The Band regularly performs carols and Christmas music in Bethel Square, Brecon in the weeks before Christmas.
In the late 90s, the Band was successful in applying for Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Wales. The applications were backed by both Brecon Town Council and Powys County Council. The funding enabled the Band to purchase a complete, new set of instruments, some suitable for beginners and the others for the more accomplished musician. Many of our younger musicians, who have grown up with the Band, have gone on to read music at University, with the use of high quality Band instruments.
In 1998, following a performance at the Victorian Festival, the Band were invited to perform at an International Band festival in Koude de Kerke, amjn de Rijn, Holland. The Band performed three concerts at the Festival. We have also performed in Valkenburg; Maastricht; Ostend, Brugges, Ypres, Antwerp and Amsterdam.
In 2006 the Band were the guests of Disneyland, Paris for the first Wales in Wonderland Festival where the Band performed twice.
In October 2009 the Band performed on the Glanfa stage in the Wales Millennium Centre. Some of the performance can be viewed on "youtube". In the same year the Band performed for Prince Charles when he visited Brecon.
In 2012 as part of the Diamond Jubilee, the Band performed for HM The Queen at the Diamonds in the Park celebrations in Glanusk Park. When the Duchess of Cornwall visited Brecon later in the year, the Band performed for her outside Theatr Brycheiniog.
In 2012, the Band commenced their annual Last Night of the Proms concerts in Theatr Brycheiniog. In 2017, the Band inaugorated the PromArt competition open to all school children in Powys. The competition is designed to encourage children to take a more active and interested part in music and art. The theme was Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition which the Band performed as part of the their 50th anniversary. The short-listed works were projected onto a screen behind the Band as it performed the music.
The Band also performed at the topping out ceremony for Brecon's new cultural hub - Y Gaer.
The Urdd Proclamation day also saw the Band performing, welcoming the procession, with the melody Men of Harlech, as it entered the King George playing fields.
In 2018, the Last Night of the Proms incorporated Prokovief's Peter and the Wolf which was also the subject of the PromArt competition.
2019's Last Night of the Proms incorporated the incidental music that Greig composed for Ibsen's Peer Gynt as the subject of the PromArt competition.
In July 2019, we performed a joint concert in Theatr Brycheiniog with the Cosmopolitan Music Society from Edmonton, Canada.
In 2020 we were allocated a £5,000 grant by the trustees of the Audrey Tyler Trust. This money has been spent on a complete set of percussion instruments for our out door performances; several packs of new music and Band logo emblazoned waterproof jackets.
Our Band trailer was also serviced at a very reasonable price by New Road Garage, Llandovery.
The annual membership fee is only £40 and this includes, the use of an instrument; all music; a Band music satchel and polo shirt.
If after reading all the information on this site, there is something else you'd like to know, please ring
our
Musical Director Dave on -
07779-390954
or email
conductorbtcb@aol.com