Well, 2020 has certainly been a bit different to the normal brass banding year of City of Cardiff Melingriffith Brass Band Organisation. January got off to a flying start with all five bands back rehearsing with a range of new music and looking forward to the year ahead. M1, M2 and M3 had their heads down working on pieces for the regionals and CommBrass and M4 got stuck into some new challenges.
February saw the start of the six nations and M10, our 10-piece group from CommBrass and M2 entertaining the pre match shoppers in St David’s Centre for each home game. It was great to be playing in such a happy atmosphere with a range of Welsh tunes from traditional to the legendary Tom Jones, and of course the national anthems of the playing sides.
The band luckily wasn’t impacted by the terrible flooding in the area, with just one weather related rehearsal cancellation for M3 and M4. The weather was still wet and windy when M1 travelled to Porthcawl to take part in the 2020 Welsh Open Entertainment Championship. The band came away with second prize, best horn section and most entertaining band thanks to musical director Christopher Bond’s exciting programme.
The Welsh Regional Area Contest in Swansea took place on the first weekend in March with M2 performing “Endurance” by Andrew Baker, gaining 5th place after a two year gap from the Welsh regionals. M1 gave a great performance of “A Tale as Yet Untold” by Philip Sparke gaining 4th place – tantalisingly close to a trip to the Royal Albert Hall!
After lots of hard work our first youth open day was set for 28th March with a session for beginners to grade 3 in the morning and grade 4 and above in the afternoon, with the opportunity to work alongside M1 players. However, plans were thwarted by Covid-19 and the event had to be cancelled. We hope to be able to run the event later in 2021 or early 2022.
Disappointment was also in store for M1 with a trip to Cornwall cancelled for “An afternoon at the Movies” which would have been an amazing event. The CommBrass Charity Spring Concert was also cancelled – an annual event in aid of Cardiff Churches Night Shelter that we look forward to every year – not just because of the amount of tea and cake in the interval!
So, with rehearsing in person not an option the bands moved online with CommBrass trying out Zoom first, once we got the hang of sharing audio and muting everyone to play along to tracks it was plain sailing - honest! Playing was interspersed with quizzes, bingo and scattergories for those with neighbours less keen on rehearsals next door. M4 carried on with their rehearsals in small groups learning about rhythms, intervals, syncopation and dynamics as well as playing. M3 had quizzes and scavenger hunts to catch up during normal rehearsing times. M2 joined up with CommBrass with online playalongs every Tuesday evening. M1 followed with weekly themed quizzes from Blackpool, the FA cup to Eurovision.
In May VE day was celebrated across the country – members of the organisation could be heard playing the last post in their streets and gardens across South Wales and as far away as the east coast of England!
Unfortunately, we were unable to hold our annual gala concert which showcases all five bands individually and together with one massed band piece. We were also not able to run our normal awards night for the organisation and say goodbye, thank you and good luck to the members of the organisation who were off to university across the UK or finishing at RWCMD. M1 held their very own alternative awards event and M3 made us all very proud with the organisation’s first virtual performance, recording Sing with a little help from their friends in M1 to mark the occasion.
The organisation selects a charity to support every year alongside the fundraising we do for the band. This year it is Touch Trust, a fantastic Cardiff based organisation that provides unique creative movement programmes for individuals with learning difficulties, complex needs or other vulnerabilities. As we have not been able organise any concerts to raise money this year we have focussed our efforts in the digital world. M1 teamed up with some of Touch Trust’s staff and service users in July to present a virtual performance of “Bring Me Sunshine”. A fantastic performance from everyone bound to bring a smile to your face.
As the regulations relaxed a little over the summer, CommBrass and M2 managed a few socially distanced “rehearsals” outside, with thanks to Tongwynlais Rugby Club for the use if their field. The weather was kind and members really enjoyed playing together again even if we were a bit “rusty”. Members of the public walking past were obviously missing live music too as we had lots of people stopping to listen and give lovely comments.
Moving into the Autumn it was time for the Cory Online Brass Band Championships. M1 picked up 3rd place overall, together with prizes for best horns, best euphoniums and baritones, and best Welsh music. The programme featured three arrangements by M1’s musical director Christopher Bond with some beautiful melodies in ”Anfonfal/Angel” by Robot Arwyn, “Welsh Melody” and the upbeat Tom Jones classic “It’s Not Unusual”.
CommBrass and M2 were back on Zoom with the colder weather trying out some new music. Although we couldn’t attend the normal Remembrance Sunday services members of the band were proud to play the last post at a number of smaller services in the local area. M1 were able to bring together the Melingriffith Band of World War 2 with current players in a brand new arrangement by their musical director Christopher Bond in a moving virtual performance of “We’ll Meet Again”.
Following the regulations with limited numbers, large halls, social distancing, an electronic thermometer, bell moisture guards and open windows M2 and CommBrass were able to rehearse indoors for a few weeks before lockdown began in earnest again for those that wanted too. This was in addition to the weekly zoom sessions for those who weren’t able to attend in person.
We have really missed Christmas carolling this year with only a couple of Christmas events with a quartet. But we’ve certainly had fun putting together seven Christmas videos to raise money for the organisation and Touch Trust. This included four soloists from M1 with flugelhorn Cerys Mair Hughes playing “Away in a Manager”, principal cornet Becky Cale with “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”, principal euphonium Lizzie Connell playing “in the Bleak Midwinter” and solo horn Lowenna Taylor with “White Christmas”. CommBrass and M2 collaborated on a brilliant performance of Shakin’ Stevens “Merry Christmas Everyone”, we were really pleased to make the ITV news and radio Wales to promote the organisation and Touch Trust. This was followed up by our talented M4 and M3 members recording “Jingle Bells” and a great job they did too – got everyone in the mood for Christmas. Our final video featured M1 and singer Laura Mansell in a brand new brass band adaptation of “All I want for Christmas is You”. M1 were also featured on S4C on Christmas Day performing with Al Lewis on his Christmas show.
We’d like to thank the Arts Council for Wales for funding to allow us to take forward these video projects, to hire bigger rehearsal spaces and make adaptions to the ventilation in the band room so we can hopefully use it again for small groups once regulations allow.
We’d also like to thank our band managers, musical directors / conductors, KMJ Recordings (Keith Johnson), Neil Brownless and Sion Roberts for all their work on our online performances this year.
One last massive thank you to Dave Howard who has played such a big part in the organisation over many years, latterly conducting CommBrass and playing euphonium with M2. Dave has moved away from Cardiff and we are really going to miss him, but wish him all the best for his new career as chief baby sitter for his grandson and playing with Towester Studio Band. We’d also like to thank all our supporters around the UK and who knows - the world!
2020 certainly has been an unusual year with personal losses for some of the organisation’s members. We’d like to remember those loved ones and hope that music and our band family have helped in some small way. We are looking forward to what 2021 will bring for the organisation and very much hope we will be back playing together in person in not too many months!