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The Welsh Brass Arts
Festival
Welsh Brass Arts Festival 2008
Monday June 9 -
Saturday June 21
Park and Dare Theatre, Treorchy
Box Office: 01443 775 654
Tickets for all events now
available
The Welsh Brass Arts
Festival
The Welsh Brass Arts Festival
is one of the flagship events in the annual calendar of the Parc & Dare Band.
Held annually at the Park and Dare Theatre, Treorchy in mid June, the Festival sees the band combine
with a host of talent from across Wales and beyond.
Below can be found the
Primary Aims & Objectives of the Festival,
News on
this year's forthcoming event and also
details of the exciting new daytime element for young musicians "Gŵyl
Gerdd Ysgolion - Schools' Music Festival".
Alongside all of this
Retrospectives on past events
and participants, plus a
section on the Festival's keen approach to the commissioning and performance of
new music (including
a list of the Commissions
funded by and premiered at the Welsh Brass Arts Festival to date) is also
included.
Initially funded by an
"Arts For All" lottery grant from the Arts Council of Wales, the Welsh
Brass Arts Festival is now
wholly funded by the Parc & Dare Band and its supporters. Details of how
individuals and business can support the Festival can be found in the
Sponsorship
section of this site.
WBAF 2008 is supported by
the Colwinston Charitable Trust,
Red Dragon FM
and funding provided by the Arts Council
of Wales,
Welsh Assembly Government
and Rhondda Cynon Taf Cultural Services.
The Parc & Dare Band is indebted to these organisations for their help and
support.
Primary Aims and Objectives
1) To promote the music of Wales and the music-making of Welsh artists at the highest level through the medium of brass
2) To promote the brass band as an institution and to raise the general profile of the medium
3) To encapsulate into the festival all the various aspects of the band musician – as a performer, conductor, composer and arranger – and as part of the festival to provide expert tuition of the highest quality in these fields by recognised band personalities
4) To create, through the festival, considerable further interest in brass bands and their activities within Wales, particularly with regard to youth, and to create an outside interest in Welsh bands.
5) To provide, through the Schools' Music
Festival, opportunities for young people
to perform in a professional setting, individually and in groups.
WBAF 2008
The Welsh Brass Arts Festival is
back, bigger and better than ever with over two weeks of events hosted by and
featuring Wales’ celebrated Parc & Dare Band. Masterclasses, workshops, schools’
performances, musical theatre and of course the two specially produced main
events - the 8th consecutive festival really is an event not to be
missed! Read on...
*Tickets for all WBAF events are available from the Park
& Dare Theatre, Treorchy Tel: 01443 773 112
Mon 9 & Tues 10 June @ 10:00am
Gŵyl Gerdd Ysgolion - Schools'
Music Festival Daytime Showcase
Groups of young singers, dancers and
musicians from schools across Rhondda Cynon Taf and beyond gather at the Park &
Dare to showcase the finest in primary and infant school music making
A new daytime element of the Welsh Brass Arts Festival,
Gŵyl Gerdd
Ysgolion
is aimed at providing local children with the opportunity to perform in the palatial
and professional setting of the Park & Dare Theatre in front of an audience of
their peers, teachers, parents and our regular theatre audience.
Inaugurated by the Parc & Dare Band in 2005
and expanding year upon year the Schools Music
Festival now offers children of all ages from across Rhondda Cynon Taf and
beyond, numerous competitive and non-competitive opportunities to showcase their
talents
both individually and in groups.
Tickets: £2:50 (circle only)
*Entry forms for schools and school groups can be
obtained from the Administration Office of the Parc & Dare Theatre Tel: 01443
775 654
Wed 11 June @ 7:00pm
Cyngerdd Ysgolion Cymraeg Rhondda
Noswaith rhyfeddol sy'n cynnwys y
telynnau, corau, dawnswyr a phres yr Ysgolion Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt,
Bronllwyn, Llwyncelyn, Llyn Y Forwyn ag Ynyswen
Tickets: £5 (stalls), £6 (circle)
Thurs 12
June @ 1:15pm
The Big
Sing
A new
element created especially for WBAF 2008 featuring young vocalists from 18 RCT
schools brought together in a celebration of music making and song
Tickets: £2 (circle only)
Fri 13
June @ 1:00pm
Harp
Workshop with Catrin Finch
An opportunity to work closely and
engage with virtuoso harpist Catrin.
Tickets: £3
*Ticket deal available for group /
school bookings and combined daytime and evening ticket deal also available.
Contact the Box Office for details and further information.
Friday 13 June @ 7:30pm
The Planets
With Catrin Finch, The Parc & Dare Band, Serendipity
Female Chorus and the symphonic brass of the
Stadtkapelle Nürtingen and Stadtorchester Ravensburg, Germany
90 years after its first performance
at London’s Royal Albert Hall see Gustav Holst’s Planets suite played as never
before with renowned harpist Catrin Finch, Serendipity female chorus and the
combined brass of the Parc & Dare Band with the Stadtkapelle Nürtingen and
Stadtorchester Ravensburg of Germany, all accompanied by digital visual displays
and fascinating insights into each featured planet from the University of
Glamorgan’s Professor Mark Brake. Programme also to include additional works for
harp, brass and female chorus.
Tickets: £ 10 (circle), £8 (stalls)
*Educational opportunities
available. Please contact Box Office for further information
Saturday 14 June @ 7:30pm
A Night at the Opera
With The Parc & Dare Band, the Vivace Singers, Cor
Meibion Morlais and the symphonic brass of the
Stadtkapelle Nürtingen and
Stadtorchester Ravensburg, Germany
Join the Parc & Dare Band and their
special guests the Vivace Singers, Cor Meibion Morlais and the Stadtkapelle
Nürtingen and Stadtorchester Ravensburg of Germany, for a lavish and fun filled
Night at the Opera featuring everyone’s favourite solos, arias and overtures all
brought to a climax with a rousing Last Night of the Proms style finale.
Tickets: £ 10 (circle), £8 (stalls)
Mon 16
– Sat 21 June @ 10:00am
Parc & Dare Festival of Young
Musicians
Individual and competitive daytime
events for aspiring musicians of all ages and abilities with a whole day devoted
to each family of instruments.
Tickets: £2 (stalls only)
*Further details and application forms for these events will be made available
on this site soon and from the Administration Office of the Park & Dare
Theatre Tel: 01443 775 654
Tues 17 – Sat 21 June @ 7:15pm
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
With Spotlight Theatre Company
Tickets: £8:50 (Circle) £8 (Stalls)
Carbon 12 – A Choral Symphony
Chorus & Orchestra of the Welsh
National Opera Company
Parc & Dare Band & Risca Male Choir
Mining will always be part of Wales’
flourishing tradition of song, its national opera company has brought together
composer Errollyn Wallen and writer John Binias – uniting a specially formed
60-strong community choir, the Risca Male Voice Choir, Parc and Dare Band with
its own world-class Chorus and Orchestra – to create an inspiring and uplifting
musical evening. A celebration in song of South Wales’ unique history, its
landscape and people.
Performances:
Friday June 6 Wales
Millennium Centre, Cardiff 08700 40 2000
Thursday June 12 Wales
Millennium Centre, Cardiff 08700 40 2000
Thursday June 19 Birmingham
Hippodrome 0870 730 1234
Thursday June 26 Rhondda Fach
Sports Centre, Ferndale 01443 775 654
The Welsh Brass Arts Festival 2008 is supported by the
Colwinston Charitable Trust.
The Schools Music Festival and Festival of Young Musicians is
supported by Red Dragon FM
The Planets is an RCT Theatres / Arts Outside Cardiff / Parc
& Dare Band Co-production
Retrospectives
Listed below are retrospectives on each Welsh
Brass Arts Festival event, detailing the dates, titles and various artists
featured in each WBAF right back to the original Festival in 2001.
2001 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
Presenter: Vincent Kane
Friday June 8th – “Brass & Voices”
Guest Artists: Treorchy Male
Choir, Denise Leigh, Jacqueline Boucher
Guest Conductor: Dr
Roy Newsome
Saturday June 9th – “Stars In Brass”
Guest Soloist: James Watson,
Trumpet
Sunday June 10th – “Finale” Gala Concert
Guest Artists: Leyland Band
Guest Conductors: Dr
Robert Childs, Dr Roy Newsome
2002 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
Presenter: Owen Money
Friday June 14th – “Brass
& Voices”
Guest Artists: Peter Karrie, The Richard Williams Singers
Saturday June 15th – “Stars In Brass”
Guest Artists: David Childs, Euphonium,
Treorchy Comprehensive School Brass
BandGuest Conductor: Ieuan
Morgan MBE
Sunday June 16th – “Finale” Gala Concert
Guest Artists: Black Dyke Band,
Philip Madoc
Guest Conductor: Dr Nicholas
Childs
2003 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
Presenter: Arfon Haines-Davies
Friday June 6th – “Brass & Voices”
Guest Artists: Peter Karrie, The Richard Williams Singers
Saturday June 7th – “Stars In Brass”
Guest Artists: Brighouse & Rastrick Band
Guest Conductor: David
Hurst
Sunday June 8th – “Last Night of the Proms”
Guest Artists: Catrin Finch, Owen Money, RCT Youth Brass Band
2004 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
Presenter: Beverley Humphreys
Friday June 4th – “Brass & Voices”
Guest Artists: Denise Leigh, Pendyrus Male Choir
Saturday June 5th – “D-Day: 60th
Anniversary Tribute
Guest Artists: Beverley Humphreys, Rhondda Sea Cadets, RCT Youth Brass Band
2005 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
Monday May 1st - FREE WBAF Preview Concert -
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Thursday June 9th & Friday June
10th – “Showcase”
Rhondda Cynon Taf "Gwyl Gerdd Ysgolion -
Schools' Music Festival"
Friday June 10th – “Brass
Tracks”
Guest Artists:
Natalya Romaniw, Leigh Phillips, Paul Shallcross, Simon Prothero
Saturday June 11th – “Going Solo”
Rhondda Cynon Taf "Gwyl Gerdd Ysgolion -
Schools' Music Festival"
Saturday June 11th – “Last Night
of the Proms"
Guest Artists: The Richard
Williams Singers, Gentlemen Songsters & Helen May
2006 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
Monday May 29th - FREE WBAF Preview Concert -
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Rhondda Cynon Taf "Gwyl Gerdd Ysgolion -
Schools' Music Festival"
Monday June 12th - “Showcase” Event #1
Tuesday June 13th - "Gwyl Gerdd Ysgolion
Cymraeg Rhondda"
Wednesday June 14th - "Showcase" Event #2
Thursday June 15th - "Music Bites"
Lunchtime Recital
Bella Tromba Trumpet Quartet
Friday June 16th - "Electric Brass"
Guest Artists: Catrin Finch, Steve Bingham,
Gareth Rhys-Davies, Only Men Aloud!
Saturday June 17th - Going Solo
Individual Competitive Youth Event
Saturday June 17th - "Big Anthem Fawr
Guest Artists: Stadtorchester Ravensburg,
Helen May, Bella Tromba, Jenny Doolan
Guest Conductor: Harald Hepner
2007 Welsh Brass Arts Festival
WBAF Outreach Programme
Monday May 21st - World Percussion Workshop - Treherbert Bandroom, Treherbert
Thursday May 24th - World Percussion Workshop
- Parc & Dare Bandroom, Treorchy
Saturday May 26th - World Percussion Workshop
- Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy
Monday May 28th - FREE WBAF Preview Concert -
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Sunday June 10th - Vocal Workshop (with Peter Karrie) - Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy
Friday June
15th – “A Night at the Musicals / A Night at the Sands”
Guest Artists: Peter Karrie,
John Quirk (piano), Spotlight Theatre Company, Porth County Community School "Harmony" Senior Choir
Saturday June 16th – “World
Dances"
Guest Artists: Joji
Hirota and the Japanese Taiko Drummers, Azaad Dhol Group, Welsh Brass Arts
Festival Community Samba Band and Rhigos & Perthcelyn Primary African Djembe
Groups.
Guest Conductor: Stephen Roberts
"Gwyl Gerdd Ysgolion -
Schools' Music Festival"
Monday June 18th - Primary Schools' “Showcase” Event #1
Tuesday June 19th - Primary Schools'
"Showcase" Event #2
Wednesday June 20th - "Cyngerdd Ysgolion
Cymraeg Rhondda"
Festival Commissions
Since its
inception a central feature of the Welsh Brass Arts Festival has been the
commissioning of new and unconventional works for brass band. Below can be found a list
of works commissioned by the Festival to date.
The Parc & Dare
Band is always interested in new musical work. Any composer or arranger who
would be interested in seeing their work featured as part of the Festival, or
any other Parc & Dare event, should contact the band via website manager Mike
Pickin.
Major Works
Aspects of Adiemus
Karl Jenkins / Peter Graham
Premiere: Saturday June 9th 2001
Parc & Dare Band
Concerto for Euphonium & Brass Band
Michael Ball
Premiere: Saturday June 15th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & David
Childs
Concerto Melyncoch
Andrew Powell
Premiere: Saturday June 9th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & James
Watson
Concerto for Six String
Electric Violin and Brass Band
Dr. Mick Wilson
Welsh Premiere: Friday June 16th
2006
Parc & Dare Band &
Steve Bingham
Eine Kleine Lichte Musik!
Philip
Wilby
Premiere: Saturday June 15th 2002
Parc & Dare Band
Final Chorus from Symphony No. 8
Gustav
Mahler / Malcolm Peach
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band
Highlights from Carmina Burana
Karl Orff / Dr Roy
Newsome
Premiere: Sunday June 10th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & The
Leyland Band
Guest Conductor: Dr Roy Newsome
Images of the Millennium
Howard
Snell
Welsh Premiere: Sunday June 10th
2001
Parc & Dare Band & The
Leyland Band
Guest Conductor: Dr Robert Childs
Rhapsody On A Theme of Purcell
Dr Paul Mealor
Premiere: Saturday June 7th 2003
Parc & Dare Band & Brighouse
& Rastrick Band
Guest Conductor: David Hurst
The Sword & The Crown
Edward
Gregson
Premiere: Sunday June 16th
2002
Parc & Dare Band & Black
Dyke Band
with Robert Samuel & Christopher Tuner
(off-stage trumpets), Victoria Roberts (mezzo-soprano),
Jenny Jones (harp) & Rhiannon Williams (piano)
Narrator: Philip Madoc
Guest Conductor: Dr
Nicholas Childs
Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd
Andrew Powell
Premiere: Friday June 16th
2006
Parc & Dare Band, Gareth Rhys-Davies,
Catrin Finch & Only Men Aloud!
Witches Sabbath (from Symphonie Fantastique)
Hector Berlioz / Roy Newsome
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band
Guest Conductor: Dr Roy Newsome
World Dances
Stephen Roberts
Premiere: Saturday June 16th
2007
Parc & Dare Band with Joji Hirota and the
Japanese Taiko Drummers, Azaad Dhol Group, Welsh Brass Arts Festival Community
Samba Band and Rhigos & Perthcelyn Primary African Djembe Groups
Guest Conductor: Stephen Roberts
Light Music
A Beautiful Mind
James Horner / Leigh Phillips
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band & Natalya Romaniw
Guest Conductor: Leigh Phillips
All Through The Night
Welsh
Trad. / Margaret Antrobus
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & Treorchy
Male Choir
Anthem (from Chess)
Andersson / Rice / Ulvaes / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with The Richard Williams Singers and Geoff
Guppy (piano)
Beim Schlafengehn (from Four Last Songs)
Richard Strauss / Margaret Antrobus
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & Denise
Leigh
Bring Him Home / Do You
Hear the People Sing (from Les Miserables)
Schonberg / Boublil / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with The Richard Williams Singers and Geoff
Guppy (piano)
Bui Doi (from Miss
Saigon)
Boublil / Schonberg / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 6th 2003
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
The Contender
Pope / Kinder
Premiere: Friday June 15th 2007
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with John Quirk (piano)
A Desperate Poaching Affray
Paul Shallcross
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band
Humming Chorus (from
Madame Butterfly)
Giacomo Puccini / Craig Roberts
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & The Richard Williams
Singers
Huntsmen's Chorus (from Die
Freischutz)
Carl Maria Von Weber /
Christian Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June
8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & Treorchy
Male Choir
Hymn of Praise
John
Rutter / Tony Rogers
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & Treorchy
Male Choir
The Impossible Dream
(from Man of LaMancha)
Leigh / Darion / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with The Richard Williams Singers and Geoff
Guppy (piano)
Luck Be A Lady (from Guys &
Dolls)
Loesser / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 6th 2003
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
Mack the Knife (from the
Threepenny Opera)
Weill / Brecht / Blitzstein / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
Masada
Jerry Goldsmith / Leigh Philips
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band
Minnie the Moocher
Calloway / Mills / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
Music of the Night (from
Phantom of the Opera)
Andrew Lloyd Webber / Christian Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
My Way
Anka / Revaux / Francois / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 6th 2003
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
New York, New York
Ebb / Kander / Quirk / Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter
Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
Pilgrim’s Chorus (from Tannhauser)
Richard Wagner /
Christian Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & Treorchy
Male Choir
Guest Conductor: Dr Roy Newsome
September (from Four Last Songs)
Richard Strauss /
Margaret Antrobus
Premiere: Friday June 8th 2001
Parc & Dare Band & Denise
Leigh
The Sheepstealer
Paul Shallcross
Premiere: Friday June 10th 2005
Parc & Dare Band
Guest Conductor: Paul Shallcross
Spiderman
Danny Elfman / Leigh Phillips
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band
Supergirl
Jerry Goldsmith / Leigh Phillips
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band
Guest Conductor: Leigh Phillips
Surrender
David Arnold / Leigh Phillips
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band & Natalya Romaniw
Guest Conductor: Leigh Phillips
March: The Welshman
Lt. Col. Peter Hannam / Christian Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 6th 2003
Parc & Dare Band
West Side Story Medley
Leonard Bernstein /
John Quirk / Christian Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 14th 2002
Parc & Dare Band & Peter Karrie
with Geoff Guppy (piano)
Zulu
John Barry / Dr. Christian Jenkins
Premiere: Friday June 10th
2005
Parc & Dare Band
History
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