Euphonium virtuoso David Childs is certainly doing his bit to help protect the heritage of community based music making in South Wales.

Build

Following the recent news of devastating cuts to local music support services and the need to help protect and enhance wind music and ensemble provision in the Principality, David has been working hard to build on the success of the recently formed Cardiff Symphonic Winds Orchestra.

CSW is a community based wind orchestra formed by local music teachers, students, amateur enthusiasts, and freelance musicians in and around the Welsh capital.

Emulate

David told 4BR, that he hopes to try and emulate the community based success of top Welsh brass bands, in a genre of music making that is growing in popularity.

"Young brass musicians have always had the extraordinary benefit of community brass bands working in tandem with local music support services to develop and inspire," he said.

"The fantastic work done by the brass band movement in nurturing talent is unparalleled in other spheres of music making. However it is this community aspect CSW hopes to emulate in order to provide further experience and performance opportunities for Wind Orchestra musicians."

Active role

David has taken on the active role of Artistic Director as well as that of Musical Director of the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Youth Wind Orchestra.

He added: "Community based music making and County supported tuition contributed hugely to my development as a young musician and proved inspirational in my decision to study music and pursue it professionally as a career.

My hope is that Cardiff Symphonic Winds will help provide inspiration for our young wind and percussion players in South Wales, as well as raise awareness for the tremendous work local Music Support Services have been doing for so many years.

It’s a tribute to their success that many musicians in CSW are either teachers from, or products of these invaluable Music Services."

Cobb feature

Cardiff Symphonic Winds will launch in spectacular fashion on May 18th with an inaugural concert at the Principality’s premiere music education establishment, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

And to give the event the biggest possible musical boost, David’s great friend Philip Cobb, Principal Trumpet with the London Symphony Orchestra will be joining CSW on stage as their star guest soloist.

to give the event the biggest possible musical boost, David’s great friend Philip Cobb, Principal Trumpet with the London Symphony Orchestra will be joining CSW on stage as their star guest soloist4BR

Financial boost

David continued: "With popular music from Holst to Shostakovich, Eric Whitacre to John Williams, the evening is sure to be a night to remember for all involved.

And thanks to the generous support of the Buffet Wind Group, RWCMD and Newport based Ev-entz, all proceeds from this concert will be donated to local Music Support Services."

Help

David concluded: "We appreciate any money raised by our concert will be a mere drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds of thousands of pounds currently being lost in music education.

However, by coming together as musicians we are showing our support for this cause in the most meaningful way we can, and at the same time creating an ensemble to benefit future generations of wind and percussion musicians in Wales."

Tickets

Box office link for the concert's ticket sales: https://tickets.rwcmd.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_tessitura_bridge&task=booktickets&perf_code=39713&Itemid=8