The quest to find the best band in Wales crescendos towards its climax next month as the final rounds of Band Cymru 2014 are played out at the Parc & Dare Theatre in Treorchy on the weekend of 12-13th April.

£10,000 first prize

The new competition, launched by Welsh broadcaster S4C and Rondo Media, will produce two days of entertainment and music by Welsh brass, wind and jazz bands. Audiences at the venue in the heart of the Rhondda will enjoy the spectacle of a dozen bands battling it out for the chance to win the Band Cymru 2014 title and the single prize of £10,000.

Members of the public can enjoy the excitement, as tickets are free, whilst an international panel of judges have already commented on the high standard and entertainment value of the bands that have got through to the final stages. Viewers at home will get to enjoy the broadcasts on S4C.

Homage

Hefin Owen, Band Cymru 2014 organiser on behalf of Rondo Media, told 4BR: "We are delighted to be producing this new and exciting competition for S4C. Band Cymru certainly pays homage to Wales’ great brass band tradition but adds a new twist with the introduction of Jazz Bands and Wind Bands to the competition."

He added: "If the audition process is anything to go by, the final performances are set to be of a very high standard and audiences are in for a real treat."

More than 50 entries

More than 50 entries for the competition were received from groups from every corner of the country with the top 12 being chosen through ‘blind audition’ to get through to the final.

The finalists will be judged by a panel of experts, highly respected in their field, some of whom are flying in especially for the competition. Bands will be marked not only on technique and skill but also on how well they entertain and perform for their audience.

World class

Speaking ahead of the final, a spokesperson for the judges told 4BR: "The selected bands have it all; from humour and personal expression to world class ensemble playing. It should be an extremely exciting and entertaining final."

Free tickets

Members of the public are invited to come and watch the competition at the Parc & Dare Theatre in Treorchy. Sessions will start at 2.30pm and 8.00pm and free audience tickets are available by contacting Rondo Media on 02920 223456 or bandcymru@rondomedia.co.uk

If the audition process is anything to go by, the final performances are set to be of a very high standard and audiences are in for a real treatHefin Owen

Finalists

The 12 bands which will be appearing in the final rounds of Band Cymru 2014 are:

Band Jazz Tryfan
Capital City Jazz Orchestra
Chamber Winds
Cory
James Clark's Lonely Hearts Rugby Club Band
Liberty Big Band
Northop Silver
Royal Welsh College Symphonic Brass
Teddy Smith Big Band
Tongwynlais Temperance
Tredegar
Tylorstown