| Ystrad Band - Behind the Scenes... |
| 16th May - There was a dessert eating competition following the Ebbw Vale contest. Unfortunately, I am still shaking from sugar overload while I'm typing this... Back at the leisure centre, I have it on good authority that other members of the band were involved in a separate alcohol drinking competition. At the moment, I'm not sure of the outcome of that! 28th January, 2009 - Ross's 80th birthday surprise party may not be so much of a surprise after all. At the end of rehearsal, Catryn caught him reading one of the invites that she'd brought to rehearsal... 22nd December - We've just discovered that we have been overworking our players. It seems that the easiest way to raise funds over Christmas is to leave the instruments at home and just go around with the collecting tins! 29th June - We held a Saturday afternoon rehearsal for the training band so they could practise band items and solos for the upcoming concert on 12th July. 19th June - A video, written and narrated by Catryn was shown at the Ystradgynlais Welfare Hall. Part of the 'Valleys Digital Explosion' project by Ystradgynlais Media Trust, the video is a photographic trip down memory lane, with Catryn providing an insight into the history of the band as well as her own thoughts and feelings. The video can be seen here. 18th May - Phill treated the band to a shorter rehearsal followed by drinks in the pub across the road following our efforts in Tredegar. 12th March, 2008 - With no conductor, Angharad coming down with tonsillitis and Chris's car tyre blowing out on the way from Haverfordwest, we didn't have the most auspicious build up to our annual concert... Nevertheless, the concert was a success, with performances from Ynysgedwyn and Gurnos schools as well as our new Junior Band. Click here for our group photo and some videos of the evening. 7th October - Following our trip to Burry Port, the Band has launched its own YouTube channel!!! 23rd September - Catryn and Chris have visited eight local primary schools on a recruitment drive. They showed off different instruments available to play at the band with a demonstration and an opportunity for the children to try the instruments out. 5th August - Ooh, look! Catryn's on for the championship section commentary! Band 1 - Wrexham. Catryn thinks they were quite good and there was a varied programme. That's it. Choose your words carefully. Band 2 - Beaumaris. And the competition is quite possibly over after the first piece. How many of these actually played in the 'B' band yesterday? It looks like quite a few. If my mother hadn't already taped over yesterday's performances with six hours of Big Brother live streaming, I might have been able to check... (08/08 - Apparently this was the 'B' band as well. But they rotated some of the forty players on their books between sections and made full use of the five borrowed players rule.) Band 3 - Northop. With a very polished performance of Carnival of Venice, complete with pedal F and super F. Nice four octave range there. And a xylophone solo that goes down very well in the pavillion. This is close - there are a few more slips than Beaumaris though. Catryn suggests the result should be decided by clapometer! Band 4 - Deiniolen. For the first time ever, S4C cut to adverts in the middle of the performance! Catryn gets in a plug for new players. Yes, please come and join us! Band 5 - St Athan. Quite poor tuning - Catryn picked up on this, too. Our result: 1. Beaumaris 2. Northop 3. Wrexham 4. Deiniolen 5. St Athan Actual result: 1. Northop 2. Beaumaris 3. Deiniolen. Fair enough, I preferred Northop's programme so no arguments with that decision. 4th August - No sign of Catryn but here's our take on today's proceedings. There were only three bands in the fourth section and I thought that this would have been the most obvious result in the history of brass banding. Clearly not... Our result: 1. Gwaun Cae Gurwen 2. Gwernaffield 3. Llandudno Actual result: 1. Gwernaffield 2. Gwaun Cae Gurwen 3. Llandudno Next year's adjudicator by the way is one of the country's top trombonists. That'll be us taking another year off then. So on to the third section: Our result: 1. Oakeley 2. Blaenafon 3. Porthaethwy 4. Rhyl. (Though there was a very young-looking cornet soloist - apparently aged 14 but four foot something and in a shirt with a 17" collar - who played really well for Porthaethwy and the studio commentators put them in first place...) Actual result: 1. Oakeley 2. Blaenafon 3. Porthaethwy 4. Rhyl. Well, I never! And S4C shows the worst bit of Oakeley's performance as they announce that they've won. Second section: Harder to sort this one out as the general standard is higher and I don't have the scores to see exactly what should be going on. Since when were Beaumaris in second section? Oh, right, it's the 'B' band... Plus it's lunchtime so my concentration levels are beginning to wane! And surely marks should be deducted for playing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" in the National Eisteddfod of Wales?! Blimey. We get treated to a 20-second clogging solo from Beaumaris! Quality. Our result: 1. Beaumaris 2. Newtown 3. Tylorstown 4. Buckley Actual result: 1. Beaumaris 2. Tylorstown 3. Newtown 4. Buckley 25th July - Catryn has been invited to commentate between bands on the live Eisteddfod show on S4C next weekend. Following nine consecutive years of competing at the Eisteddfod, the Band is taking this year off so this would give her the opportunity to share her words of wisdom with the whole country. 10th June - Ty Croeso's Gymanfa Ganu. Catryn warned the Band not to drag the hymns. She soon regretted this as we zoomed through them faster than the congregation could sing (in fairness, we were following the conductor)... 11th May - Our musicals concert took place with Abercrave, Caehopkin and Penrhos schools. The hall was filled to capacity - with many having to stand at the back. Many thanks to everyone for their support - as usual, we received a warm welcome in Abercrave. 1st March 2007 - Well, the Tipit show has been broadcast. Unfortunately, Aled's team didn't get past the first round. 18th November - Aled is in Aberystwyth taking part in the second series of the S4C tv game show Tipit. The winning team will win £5,000! If you want to know how to play the game, click here (link is to an external site press the Back <-- button on your browser to return here). 4th November - Our themed concert at the Abercrave Welfare Hall was such a success yesterday that plans are already being made for the next theme. We've pencilled in a musicals night on 23rd March, 2007. Watch this space...... 4th October - Next Sunday's rehearsal has apparently been cancelled in favour of an Ann Summers party. And we've been threatened that the pictures HAVE to be put on this site. 5th August 2006 - Oh dear. The Eisteddfod microphones had to zoom in on the two players from Shrewsbury, didn't they?! At least they'd learned how to say 'bore da'... Tony Small was invited to commentate live on S4C and embarrassed himself with an unfortunate comment about Ystradgynlais - I expect they'll have the sense not to invite him back... 13th November - As so many players are away, it's been a bit quiet lately. Things are not all doom and gloom, though! Walter White has returned for a conducting stint and is helping to bring on the younger players in the band. Several members frim the junior band are now coming regularly and we have welcomed Mavis into the band on cornet. Greg recently came back to a rehearsal during the Irish half term and Aled has also just returned on a weeks' break from university. We are currently considering whether it will be practical to agree to take part in the St Cynog's Carol Service next month (though apparently it's already been advertised that we'll be there...) 31st July - With Carwyn driving up to the Eisteddfod this year, Wyn was able to take a commanding 9-4 lead in their unofficial 'how many times can you spew into a tesco carrier bag on the eisteddfod coach' challenge. 30th July - A trek of over a kilometre with all of the band's instruments and percussion ankle deep in mud was not the ideal start to the contest. And although an early draw meant that we were rushed onto the stage, we gave a very good performance of a challenging entertainment programme. As in previous years, we chose to play what we considered our best programme in the section that we thought we'd have the best chance in and finished an unlucky 4th out of eight bands (but the highest placed band from South Wales). I've complained about adjudications a few times over the years - the good thing about the Eisteddfod is that the whole thing is broadcast so you can review it later. I must admit to sitting open-mouthed in amazement listening to one of the bands that was placed above us. Watch the tape and see what you think! 29th July - The fun continued with an eventful trip to Bangor. At least the coach arrived on time this year but after a few surprising left turns, we came face to face with a cordoned off road. The police had sealed it off due to an accident and it took a full 30 minutes for a car towing a caravan to make a turn in the road. Onwards (in a fashion) and we eventually got as far as Dolgellau, where we scheduled a short stop. But guess what? The coach was on fire!! Well, almost... the front wheel was smoking. Thirty five minutes later we were off again. We arrived at Bangor at 8:10 (our rehearsal was scheduled for 7:30) and then found we had no rehearsal room allocated. Forty minutes later we were told that the room had been allocated but it was on a different site over a mile away. By then we had unpacked the instruments and the driver had gone to bed! So at 9:00, we assembled in a 10 foot by 5 foot kitchen with the baritone section sitting on the sink... Oh well... roll on tomorrow! 24th July - Another setback! Ross has gout and will not be able to join us at the Eisteddfod. 17th July - Catryn unveiled the latest hitch in the Band's Eisteddfod preparations. Carwyn is trapped in Mexico by hurricane Emily with his flight home delayed by five days! 15th February - 1:30pm: phone call from Greg. His friend is involved in an exhibition in Merthyr in two days and she's looking for an instrumental group to play. Less than 48 hours later, with half a dozen newly arranged pieces, we gave a performance in front of Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly and around seventy specially invited guests at the exhibition's launch! 30th January, 2005 - Noooooooooooooooooooooodles decided that her hands were too cold to hold her glass of diet coke even though she had been sat in the warm pub for almost an hour. Not surprisingly, she failed to lift the full glass with just her mouth and the drink went flying... 26th December - It has been a year of mixed fortunes for the Band. Our public performances have been the best in recent memory - with tremendous feedback from our Annual Concert, the National Eisteddfod, the Noson Lawen in Sennybridge and the St Cynog's Carol Service in particular. When we have been able to get the whole Band together, things have gone really well but we are struggling in rehearsals as there are players at university and we have not found replacements for the few who have had to retire (it has been great to welcome Laurence back for some of our local performances, though!) More players are due to start university next September and we need an influx of players if we are to build on the successful year that we have had... This year, just 4 members have made it to at least 75% of our rehearsals and engagements with only 6 more attending at least 50% of the time. 10th December - The Band was refused entry to the first pub we visited tonight. The pub at the bottom of the Berrington hill in Cwmtwrch is now apparently a 'gourmet restaurant'. Never mind - the diners had other ideas and left their tables to join us outside as we played from the light of a car's headlamps! 12th August - The following article appeared in today's South Wales Guardian along with a picture of the Band: "Ystradgynlais Public Band were the winners of the first competition of the National Eisteddfod at Newport this year. Their late arrival at the Maes, due to problems with their coach, had no effect on their fine performance. Playing three own choice pieces, Men of Harlech, Concierto de Aranjuez (from the film Brassed Off) with soloist Wyn Davies, and James Bond Collection they beat off strong challenges, including reigning Welsh Champions, Radyr. Adjudicator Mr Steve Pritchard-Jones summed up the performance: "Confident playing with well controlled sounds evident. A good selection of music and well played." It is the band's first Eisteddfod victory since 1947. Their conductor Angharad Morgan was the focus of the commentators as their performance was being televised live by S4C. Not only was she the first female conductor of a brass band in the competition but, at 19, she was the youngest. She took over the helm of the band when the previous conductor left to pursue other interests at the start of the year. This was also a time when a few players moved out of the area and others were forced to retire owing to ill health. Angharad had no previous experience but her enthusiasm and commitment have clearly motivated the band. Their success follows their very well received annual concert that was held at the Ystradgynlais Welfare Hall last month. With a mixture of youthful enthusiasm and solid experience, the band look forward to a continuing involvement within the communities of the upper Swansea Valley, the Brass Band movement and the National Eisteddfod. A warm invitation is extended to anyone interested in joining the band. Details are available at www.listen.to/ystradband or by telephoning Charles White on 01792 781133. 25th July - Another classic band rehearsal moment as Charles' glasses fell off and got stuck inside his bass! 11th July - We spent the afternoon listening to the playback of the Band's Annual Concert held on Tuesday this week. We were very pleased with the Band's performance at the concert and the recording is far more impressive than we could ever have hoped for! Five of the pieces are good enough to put on a Band CD but will we ever get the chance to record any more?! 15th May - Greg was less than happy with the meagre 60 word adjudication given to the Band following today's competition. Emyr was pouting and decided he wasn't going to go swimming after all. Carwyn has obviously now found a hairstyle that Ross can't find anything to say about and it looks like Angharad was caught picking her nose... (see band photo page for pictures) 27th February - Another classic band engagement - you just had to be there to apprieciate the randomness of the whole night. Ross was concerned that Carwyn's mummy hadn't had time to comb his hair for him. The basses got lost playing 'Any Dream Will Do' and when they asked what the next piece was, Carwyn turned round and just said, "Muppets". Charles sped off after we finished playing leaving us to fit thirteen people, a dozen brass instruments and a drum kit into four fiestas. Chris demonstrated the art of eating a packet of Maltesers in fifteen seconds whilst driving. And there was probably a lot of shouting as we got Aled and Sian home from the pub at half past twelve in the morning. 8th February - We held an extended rehearsal from 5:30pm to see if we could get the test piece for the Swansea contest to sound anything like it should be. Refreshments were provided and Val took the leftovers home with her so there was no mess when practice was over. 12th January, 2004 - We are pleased to announce that the Band has received £5000 from the Communities First fund. The Band provides its services for many events within the community each year and will be seeking funding from other sources this year in the hope of buying several new instruments. 21st December - More drama for the Band at St Cynog's. One of the church deacons (or whatever the title is that he goes under) tried his best to hack off everyone in the Band with his rudeness. Greg was in hospital (only to be expected if you choose to play rugby when the Band has got something on) but we were fortunate to have Catryn and Wyn back from university. Angharad conducted the band items which were 'I Don't Know How to Love Him' (Emyr played the solo) and 'North and South'. 9th December - The Band's website was pulled off the internet for over an hour tonight by geocities. Not because of anything obscene posted by us, of course... A popular American news site had posted a link to our 'Liberty Bell' MIDI page and the flood of visitors overloaded the system! 15th November - We have returned the 4th section champion's trophy following the end of year contest in Treorchy. The Band decided not to enter this competition for many reasons. As we did not have the set test piece, the cost of buying it together with the entry fee would have been more than the prize money on offer! Add to that the cost of transportation and the difficulty of recalling people from university and finding a conductor and the choice was an easy one to make. Many other bands must have felt the same as there were only three entrants in the third section (and one of those was a band that we beat by fourteen points in the last contest!) Although we chose not to go to this competition, the band has kept busy by preparing for a Christmas Concert at the Abercrave Welfare Hall on December 3rd. 26th October - An unexpected talent has been unearthed in the Band! We are presently 'between' conductors so Ken has put down his bass and taken on the baton. There are a few problems following the scores but he conducts with passion and panache! Meanwhile, the junior band goes from strength to strength as Catryn's tour of the junior schools last month has brought us 14 new members. 4th October - Yet again, another incident packed competition for the Band. Walter had put in a lot of hard work with the Band and this was rewarded with adjudicators comments such as "good opening", "tight and tuneful", "nice stuff", "excellent playing", "lovely sounds", "very fine playing" and "confident ending". But the consistent praise did not result in a prize and there was a degree of controversy surrounding our use of two players who had registered with the Band last month. Although these registrations were completed weeks before the 1st October deadline, the contest registrar was keen to refuse to allow them on stage because they were not on a player list that he printed four weeks ago. This is the same person who wrote a name in on another band's list at the draw this morning! At the end of the day, the Band took the stage and gave a pleasing performance and that's probably the most important thing. Cazz went one step further than he did at the Eisteddfod. This time his previous night's activities ruled him out from playing altogether as someone elbowed him in the mouth during a game of rugby... 31st August - Our barbecue will unfortunately not take place this year as we are unable to use the Ynyscedwyn Arms until after university starts next month. Wednesday night rehearsals will also start and finish half an hour later from 10th September - this allow us to get more helpers at the junior band and more players at senior band rehearsals. 2nd August - Another eventful weekend trip for the Band. One band member was almost too sick to go on stage and Laurence's water key fell off as we were about to begin our second programme. Charles went off in search of a replacement trombone and we had to play the first piece without him. But our third place in the third section competition was our highest ranking for at least sixteen years. Unexpectedly, the Band also won a prize in the 'Band with the most puff' competition on the eisteddfod field in spite of "Mr Morgan"'s asthmatic wheezing! 30th June - With exams being sat in record numbers, it came as a surprise that the Band has had its best June attendance for three years. 22nd June - Usurped! What started out as a community songs of praise in the Gorsedd Park to celebrate the Band's centenary turned into a showpiece for the choir. We ended up being squashed into less than 100 square feet of space in the corner of the church while the choir took centre stage and Tom Addey trumpeted on about the Gwyl without so much as a word about our special occasion. Still, the event was enjoyed by the congregation and the Band put on a good performance. And another lesson has been learnt...... 20th June - The Band may be over 100 years old, but the learning curve continues. Today's lesson: Do not agree to participate in a concert at a time when 40% of the Band are in the middle of important exams. If participation is considered essential, do not select music that the entire solo cornet section has to sight read... 18th June - Thanks to the Ystradgynlais Town Council who have awarded the Band a grant of £500. 17th May - We competed in the third section for the first time in thirteen years. If someone had told us we would get 5th place at the start of the week, we'd have been more than happy... Adjudicator Roy Sparkes came on to the stage and announced how standards had improved with one band (us!) playing a piece that he had adjudicated as a set test piece in Ebbw Vale for 2nd section a couple of years ago. He then went on to say how one band had 'ruined' an otherwise good performance with blasting from the cornet section - and one cornet player in particular. At this point we thought that things were starting to look up, as that could not in any way be describing our cornet section with Jamie playing timps and Andy safely packed off to BTM. So it came as quite a shock when we received our adjudication to discover that he was in fact talking about us. No-one else seems to have heard this blasting cornet and we're at a loss to think who it could have been. If you were there and you heard it, please let us know!! 2nd April - Alud asked for some quiet so that he could explain something to the band. This was a certain solo cornet player's cue to let out an earth-shattering belch.... 16th March - The writing was on the wall before we played a single note at the Brangwyn Hall. The Band once again occupied the thirteenth position in the programme and it was also the 13th competition for both Aled and Wyn. Aled cut his finger with the music and bled all over the snare drum. Wyn changed key signature two bars before the rest of us for no apparent reason. These minor disasters aside, the band gave a generally solid performance and Angharad did an admirable job in her first stint as principal cornet. Having gone to great lengths to secure the services of Fred the Ferret who patiently sat through every performance, we were saddened but not surprised to learn that his prediction of 5th place was not going to come true. PF and his cronies have done it again! 12th February - Alud brought his recording equipment to the Centenary Concert to capture some live tracks for the CD but he forgot to press the 'save' button at the end... 7th February - All 36 expected players took their seats for the Band's Centenary Concert. The only disappointment of the night was the poor quality of our commemorative programmes. To mark the occasion, we felt that it was worth paying for something special, but we would have made a better job of printing them ourselves. After the initial confusion of our seven solo cornet players concerning who would be playing what, the Band shifted into top gear and produced a concert to be proud of. The 'novelty' item was a quintet of singing 'vultures' (though thankfully not in costume) who performed 'We're Your Friends' from the Jungle Book. Twenty minutes before this went on stage it was decided to introduce actions to accompany the song. This was possibly a ploy to mask the poor harmonisation, but it seemed to work as the audience gave a good cheer at the end! 2nd February - Another stunning rehearsal with 31 of the expected 36 players in the concert crammed into Sardis. We zipped through the concert items and even managed to find time to finally start work on our 'novelty' item. Hopefully, Wednesday will see us build on this good run and allow us time to introduce some choreography to some of the pieces (!) 29th January, 2003 - With our Centenary Concert barely a week away, panic was starting to build over the lack of solo cornet players. But tonight we managed a record 29 people in rehearsal and we sounded like a different band. Wouldn't it be so much better for everyone if all rehearsals were like that? But we now have to face the possibility of up to seven solo cornet players descending on the Welfare Hall next Friday as our attempts at shoring up the numbers have been more successful than anticipated! At least that would give Greg plenty of opportunity to rest his lips... 22nd December - At last, we're nearly coming to the end of the carolling season. Our poor cornet players seemed to be struggling so we gave them all a rest as the euphonium section once again saved the day with a tuneful trio. Ten minutes before the start of the carol service in St Cynog's, the organist asked if the band could transpose two of the carols. We obliged only for him to play in the wrong key both times so that the band and organ were a semitone apart. And after the service, the irrepressible euphs gatecrashed Carwyn Hopton's 18th birthday party with their unique brand of carol playing. 21st December - Radio Cymru asked if they could broadcast part of our carol playing stint at Tesco. But we weren't told when we were being put on air and played on as Catryn struggled to hear the interviewer over the telephone. So at 10:55 this morning, instead of the rousing selection that we were going to treat the nation to, the airwaves were filled with the glorious sound of 'In the Bleak Midwinter'... 10th December - Just five players braved the cold for tonight's carolling stint. Unfazed, we played on as a trio thanks to the collecting skills of 'Dave' and 'Moses'. 8th December - Another typical band rehearsal. Laurence's warm up choice of 'March to the (f******) Scaffold' went down like a lead brick with one player in particular and Val missed her chair by some distance when she went to sit down. Fortunately, no damage was done to her cornet. 24th November - There was a lot to contend with at our first CD recording session. The recording took place at Ystalyfera bandroom and we were serenaded by some howling dogs throughout the night. Individuals also had their own problems... Two-thirds of our usual solo cornet line up unexpectedly didn't show - Fortunately our adopted trombonist Geraint provided a couple of players to fill the hole that would have been left. Caroline's shoes squeaked very loudly every time she moved her feet. Nia repeatedly forgot that she was supposed to keep quiet when she was not playing and, as usual, there was non-stop commentary from the back of the rehearsal room on the night's proceedings. In spite of all this, though, some of the recorded tracks are good (or so I'm told). With a hectic month of carolling lined up, recording will hopefully resume in January. 20th November - A quartet from the Band played at the Senior Citizens' Chip supper at Abercrave school. Wyn announced the final item of the evening with an unfortunate choice of words: "This is our last piece. Enjoy it while you can!" He would like to make it clear that this was a reference to the fact that the Band was about to stop playing and not that they were likely to leave us for a better place any time soon... 16th November - The band celebrated its promotion to the third section in our own unique style. Click here to find out more! 13th November - It was handbags at ten paces as Catryn and Ken started arguing about the bus for Treorchy during the rehearsal. But the band's two most opinionated members managed to kiss and make up before the end of the night. 27th October - Andy came to band with two mini floodlights that have been put behind the bass section. Combined with Laurence's home-made clip-on stand illuminator, they put paid to any excuses about poor lighting being responsible for wrong notes... 23rd October - Another senior moment from our bass section. Having taken a full two minutes to grasp which bar Alud wanted to start from ("the bar before the 6/8") they were eventually ready to play. But after just one bar, they were all out of time. The reason? Ken explained it with, "Oh. There's a 6/8 bar by there, mun!" 16th October - Ken explained the reason that he can't play his bass very loudly. It's because it's a Yamaha. It's probably a good thing nobody pointed out that Wyn's flugel (which it would seem can only be played in the dynamic ranges mf to ffffff) is also a Yamaha. 9th October - Our latest recruit is Wyn Davies from Crynant! (He is no relation to our other Wyn.) He has joined on Bb bass and - with the Treorchy contest looming - was signed on his first visit to the band. The baritone section is definitely one not to be argued with - they have had their way by swapping with the horn section, who are now sitting in front of the trombones. Andy was a bit upset by this as he had been sitting between the solo cornets and flugel. The noise of the baritones is apparently causing him to lose concentration but this concern has also been addressed now that he's gone back to sit behind the solo cornets where he belongs!! 4th October - We were missing a player for the second half of tonight's rehearsal. As in the Sergeant Sheep story, Catryn went missing during the break. But the solution to this puzzle was less gruesome (well, slightly...) It turned out that she had popped home to shave her armpits! 8th September - The decision of the baritone section to create a third row between the horns and basses was short lived as it met with disapproval from Ross... They are much critisised for playing too quietly, but in fairness it is the only section where the bells are pointing to the back of the stage. 28th August - Greg's constant moaning about the difficulties of cornet playing proved to be unfounded when he swapped instruments with Chris during rehearsal. As Greg struggled with low running quavers on the euphonium, Chris took the opportunity to share the workload with the two other solo cornet players and (in the style of all good principal cornet players) managed to 'rest his lips' in all the tutti passages. 3rd August - Wyn and Chris thought that they counted six magpies whilst coming across the common from Crynant to Ystrad on the morning of the Eisteddfod contest. But perhaps it was only five, as we secured second place in the competition. Highlight of the day was beating the Waun band, who are ranked two sections higher than us in the grading system. Rhodri and Wyn continued their Eisteddfod rivalry - in Llanelli, Wyn was the victor in a 'Gladiators' style duel. Today, he made it 2-0 by winning at computer football. 2nd August - As the band warmed up with a bit of sight-reading, the strain of the hitherto unseen music was obviously too much of a strain for Ken. As the band reached the final pp chord, Ken's voice boomed out, 'Where are we, then?" 21st July - A warm welcome is extended to our newest recruit. Andy, who comes all the way from Caerphilly, made a good impression by arriving 20 minutes before the start of the rehearsal and putting the chairs and stands out with Ross. 7th July - After the Hospital Fete, we celebrated recent exam successes - Caroline has passed her chiropody exam and Greg has got his degree in Geography. But in a word association game in the early hours of the morning, Greg explained to Catryn: "This is something that I don't have any of but you have lots of." The possibilities were endless, but she immediately replied: "Talent". Ouch! In case you're wondering, the word that he was trying to explain was 'ambition'. 26th June - Wyn revealed another of his hidden talents during band rehearsal. As we played 'I Wanna Be Like You' from the Jungle Book, he launched into a remarkably authentic selection of animal noises that had the Band in stitches... 8th June - Ystrad Band fielded just one competitor in the solo and quartet competition in Aberdare. But it was a case of quality over quantity, as Rhysian scooped the first prize in the under 12s solo category. There was a large number of entrants, including several from Cory's junior band so this success is really something to be proud of. 7th June - Can you believe it? Those cloggers have been at it again! 2nd June - On 1st March, we attended the St David's Day concert organised by Cor Meibion. We were a little wary, as the £100 we were promised from the same concert last year was never paid to us. But we were assured by the choir's secretary that this oversight would be rectified and that an additional payment of £100 would be made for this year's concert. Sadly they have again failed to honour their agreement and we have not received a single penny although they took around £1000 from tickets and programmes. We have written to the choir asking for this to be resolved, but they have not replied. 15th May 2002 - The following item is an extract from today's Neath Courier: "Ystradgynlais Town Band held its annual concert last Wednesday. The evening was compered by Rhodri Jones and Wyn Davies and their jokes and repartee kept the audience highly amused between pieces. The band played a variety of pieces, giving the concert a resounding start with Men of Harlech and going on to play Pinball Wizard, Chopin's Dream, Miller Magic, Partita and Bugler's Holiday. Partita was the piece which gave the band first prize in the recent competition in Ebbw Vale. The band's final set was the Yellow Submarine and Mission Impossible which gave a resounding finale to the concert. The junior band also had a part to play in the concert, with their rendition of Puff the Magic Dragon and The Flintstones. The concert was brought to a close in a lively finale with Ystradgynlais Band accompanying the school children in I Will Follow Him. Anyone interested in joining our excellent local band is invited to call in at one of the twice-weekly rehearsals at Sardis Vestry, which are held on Wednesdays and Sundays. The audience was thanked for their support and reminded that next year's concert will be an extra special event for it will be the centenary concert, Ystradgynlais Town Band having been set up in 1903. If you would like to find out more about the band, then visit their website on www.listen.to/ystradband." In fact, we are not sure what date the band was established. 2003 has been declared as our centenary year as the earliest surviving records date back to 1903. Meet the Band Recent Band Events Band Diary Ystrad Band Homepage |