Greater Gwent Youth Band 50th Celebration Concert

Conductors: Robert Childs, Chris Turner, Sean O'Neill and guests
Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre
Sunday 3rd January

A half century of enlightened musical education policy in South East Wales was celebrated on Sunday, as over 700 people took the opportunity to enjoy the music provided by the past, present and future performers of the Greater Gwent Youth Bands.

Changed

Since its inception in 1960 many things have changed, but despite various cackhanded attempts at local government reorganisation, the commitment shown by first, Monmouthshire, then Gwent County Council and latterly the Unitary authorities of Monmouth, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Newport to properly fund peripatetic music services in the region has been nothing short of remarkable.

With over 120 performers on show in three separate bands at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon, it was noticeable that other things had changed too – although the desire to continue to produce enjoyable music making remains the admirable constant.

Promise

The future promise of the players in the Intermediate Band was apparent in a well chosen selection of small, accessible items under the batons of Chris Turner and Sean O’Neill.

The highlights were two ‘classics’ of youth band repertoire – the ubiquitous ‘Hootenanny’ and ‘Indian Summer’, which may now sound as ethnically stereotyped as the music to a 1950’s Saturday morning pictures cowboy movie with Alan Ladd at the helm, but still retains something about its basic premise to encourage good playing habits. 

Good habits

Those good habits (instilled over the years by a plethora of committed tutors in the local schools and on annual courses) may occasionally fade, but they never die – as was shown by the enthusiastic playing of the Reunion Band.

Some things do disappear for good though – hairstyles in particular: from the exotic gelled creations of choice and design with the youngsters in the Intermediate and Youth Bands through to ever expanding patinas of cranial flesh, manicured by necessity and camouflage in the veterans. It was also noticeable just how many young male tyros of yesteryear now dress as soberly as local authority accountants. 

Straw poll

Kids beware – we all turn into our parents, although it was amazing to see that in a quick ‘hands up’ straw poll by compere Dave Hayward, about three quarters of the old band were still playing regularly, about the same number had won a ‘National’ title of some description in their careers, and nearly a quarter had produced off spring that were now playing in the Intermediate Band on stage with them.

Still, there was plenty to enjoy as once iron clad lips were pressed into shape once more through a well worked selection of favourites from the march ‘Old Comrades’ and ‘Disney Fantasy’ to the finale from ‘Suite Gothique’. 

Proud

The current crop of Gwent Youth Band members then enjoyed themselves with a Cory inspired programme under the baton of Robert Childs (a former player in the band himself), with some spirited playing in items that featured music by Paul Lovatt-Cooper, Dan Price, Karl Jenkins and Elgar Howarth. 

The current band is certainly one to be proud of, with a number of individual performers catching the ear and a welcome adherence to warm tonality achieved despite the current January course being curtailed by a day and a half due to the weather.  

Ovation

All that was left was the opportunity to get everyone to reprise Napoleon’s demise at the hands of the Russians (although a one point with all the massed ranks playing it seemed as if there were plenty of causalities on both sides), a few well prepared speeches and thanks and a standing ovation before a quick reprise of the '1812' finale.

It rounded off a fine celebration; not just of 50 years of music making, but also of one of the most significant long-term commitments made to musical education anywhere in the UK.

Iwan Fox

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