MD, Ian Porthouse has been reflecting on the news that Tredegar Band's 'Dark Arteries' release has been voted 'CD of the Year' from Brass Band World and British Bandsman magazines.

Great way

"It's a great way to round off a year of substantial artistic achievements for the band,"he told 4BR. "I think the production of 'Dark Arteries' with Rambert Ballet has been one of the most significant things to happen to the banding movement — and we were honoured to have been part of it.

The critical acclaim for our week-long premiere run, but also of the touring production has brought brass bands to a new audience. It has also opened new doors for Tredegar, and will hopefully be the catalyst for others to follow suit."

Higgins brilliance

He added: "The CD awards also reflect the brilliance of the music by Gavin Higgins and the outstanding recording support we received from Paul Hindmarsh, the team at World of Sound and Matthew Ruel at Bandmaster Ltd.

The comments and thoughts of the critics who chose the CD have also been of great encouragement — and show that there is a growing musical appetite for ground breaking contemporary brass band music."

Higgins thrilled

Gavin Higgins was also keen to congratulate Tredegar on their achievement: "I thrilled that 'Dark Arteries' has gained these accolades — ones which mean a great deal to me as a composer.

The congratulations though go to Ian and the band who understand my music perfectly — and to the critics — especially as it shows that there is recognition for adventurous music making."

The comments and thoughts of the critics who chose the CD have also been of great encouragement — and show that there is a growing musical appetite for ground breaking contemporary brass band musicIan Porthouse

Vinyl release

Ian Porthouse also confirmed that 'Dark Arteries' will be released on vinyl in the new year, whilst Tredegar will also be undertaking a number of other exciting musical projects.

"It's something of a coup to see 'Dark Arteries' released on vinyl, whilst we also have a number of links in the pipeline for 2016 and beyond — including further CD releases with a brilliant performance of Gavin's 'Tango' by Dewi Griffiths already recorded.

We want to build on our hard earned artistic reputation for innovation — and we are determined to do that over the next few years."