Tredegar Band will become the first brass band to perform at the BBC Proms in over a decade following the announcement that they will be featured twice at this year's series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Double Proms
They will join the National Orchestra of Wales for Prom 30 on Monday 8th August for the world premiere of Gavin Higgins' new 'Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra'.
The 33-minute long work has been specially commissioned for the event, and will see Tredegar take to the stage for the performance under the baton of conductor Ryan Bancroft in a concert that will also feature Berlioz's 'Symphonie Fantastique'.
The following evening (Tuesday 9th August) the band will perform its own Late Night Brass Prom performance (Prom 32) under Musical Director Ian Porthouse.
The programme has been conceived to showcase the eclectic scope of musical genres covered by the modern brass band.
It will feature works as diverse as the opening Strauss 'Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare' and Berlioz overture 'Le Corsaire', to a brace of Vaughan Williams' compositions with his immense 'Variations for Brass Band' and touching 'Rhosymedre'.
Euphonium star Yu-Han Yang will be featured in the 'Zeibekikos' Greek Dance from Philip Wilby's 'Euphonium Concerto', whilst their renowned appetite for innovative exploration will be shown by tributes to Judy Garland and Elmer Bernstein as well as Billy May's 'Brassman's Holiday' and 'The Devil in I' by American heavy metal band Slipknot.
The finale will be provided by the roof lifting bombast of 'MacArthur Park'.
Official opening
An ensemble from the band will head to London today to perform at the official opening of the 2022 Proms Season, with MD Ian Porthouse telling 4BR: "We are honoured to be able to represent the town and people of Tredegar, as well as the brass band movement in Wales and beyond at this iconic festival.
The Proms represent the very pinnacle of artistic recognition and this is the culmination of a number of years of exceptional hard work in realising it."
Since the arrival of Ian Porthouse in 2008, Tredegar has gained a formidable reputation for its innovative musical outlook — including the critically acclaimed production of 'Dark Arteries' with the Rambert Ballet and performances of contemporary works in concerts and contests, to its appearances on television shows and films such as the BAFTA award winning 'Pride'.
We are honoured to be able to represent the town and people of Tredegar, as well as the brass band movement in Wales and beyond at this iconic festivalMD, Ian Porthouse
New level
He added: "The performance with the National Orchestra of Wales on such an immense work by Gavin Higgins will hopefully help elevate brass bands to a new level of public consideration as a musical art form.
The Late Night Prom also recognises the band's progressive musical outlook and we are delighted that we can showcase the diverse nature of what a brass band is capable of to an audience we are sure will enjoy every minute of it.
He concluded: "To perform not once but twice in the same Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall is unprecedented and we are determined to be worthy ambassadors for our community and for the banding movement."
Find out more
Proms 30:
Monday 8th August: Royal Albert Hall (7.00pm)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/egrcd4
Proms 32:
Tuesday 9th August 2022 Royal Albert Hall (10.15pm)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e2x5q9
