If you have ever wondered what some of the banding world’s top principal cornet players get up to when they are not playing with their bands in the summer, then you might be surprised.

Eisteddfod

As well as the usual round of summer schools and National Youth Band courses for most of them, Paul Hughes and Dewi Griffiths, the principal cornet Welshmen of Fairey and Tredegar are once again donning their bardic uniforms to undertake the important role of ceremonial fanfare trumpeters at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Iconic ceremonies

The lifelong friends have proudly undertaken the role for a number of years now, and can be seen as well as heard at all the iconic Eisteddfod ceremonies, which this week take place in Llanelli.

The duo play on the fanfare trumpets that were made to be used at the crowning of King George VI in Westminster Abbey in 1937.

Dewi was also on hand to be a television pundit on the live coverage of the Eisteddfod brass band contests on the Welsh television broadcasters S4C, whilst Paul led his local band, Llanrug in the Championship Section of the event.

The lifelong friends have proudly undertaken the role for a number of years now, and can be seen as well as heard at all the iconic Eisteddfod ceremonies, which this week take place in Llanelli4BR

Great and good

They also get to rub shoulders with the great and good of Welsh cultural and sporting life — including Robin McBride, the former Welsh rugby player (above), whose children play in Crwbin Band, and who also undertakes the important Eisteddfod role of Grand Sword Bearer.