The City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) Brass Band can justifiably claim to be the oldest band in Wales, indeed one of the oldest in the World. Its history can be traced back as far as 1798, when a drum and fife band was formed in Whitchurch, Cardiff, to assist the recruitment of a company of volunteers to fight against the French, who were threatening to invade Britain.
By 1850, it had become a brass band under the aegis of the 13th Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers Corporation with T.W. Booker of Melingriffith as Commandant. The band's headquarters was in 'New Houses - a row of workers' cottages near the Melingriffith tinplate works. An early record in the accounts shows a payment of £12.13s.6d to G. Davies for a quarter's tuition for the band.
It was frequently referred to as 'Booker's Band' and played at club feasts and semi-public occasions. In 1878 the bandmaster was Mr. French Davies and in 1886 Mr. Evan Owen.
The Booker undertaking appears to have failed, and connection with the Works was broken. However, the band continued to function and, for a time, there were three different combinations running simultaneously: the 'Volunteer Band', the 'Temperance Band', and the 'Drum and Fife Band'.
The Volunteer Band and the Temperance Band of the late 19th century combined to form a village band known as 'Whitchurch Brass Band', conducted by Mr. F. Chivers.
In 1913, the Whitchurch Brass Band was incorporated with the Melingriffith Cadet Corps through the influence of Mr. Hubert Spence-Thomas, Managing Director of the Melingriffith Tin Plate Works. It was reorganised in 1919 as 'The Melingriffith Volunteer and Cadet Corps Band' under Mr. Frank Morgan.