Tredegar Town Band are a

brass band A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting primarily of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularl ...

from the town of

Tredegar Tredegar (; ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial R ...

, located in South

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, founded in 1849. They are managed by Ian Porthouse.

History

The origins of the band date back to 1849, when they participated in a procession to celebrate the opening of a new mill. The band was formally constituted in 1876, following donations from the public. After the Second World War, they enjoyed increasing success, winning the Second Section Champion Band of Great Britain in 1973, the Champion Band of Wales in 1974, and the Grand Shield in 1976. They placed on the podium in the European Brass Band Championship in 1991 and 2011, runners-up at the National Championship of Great Britain in 1993 and 2003, and runners-up at the British Open in 1996, before winning the British Open for the first time in 2010. In 2013, they won the British Open for the second time, beating the second-place band, Cory.

Contemporary activities

As of 2019, Tredegar Town Band are currently ranked #4 out of all brass bands in the world, according to 4barsrest's 2022 list. The band starred in the 2014 film Pride. In 2022, Tredegar Town Band debuted at the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

, with a joint performance with

BBC National Orchestra of Wales The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) () is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both ...

of Gavin Higgins's new ‘concerto grosso, followed the next day with their own Late Night Prom.

References

{{Authority control British brass bands 1849 establishments in Wales Tredegar Welsh musical groups