A long lost tone poem written by the Welsh composer T J Powell is to be heard again nearly 60 years after it was last performed.

The Glory of Victory

Originally written in 1945, 'The Glory of Victory' had lain tucked away in a dusty alcove of Tredegar Band's archive library, until it was unearthed by accident during a recent spring clean.

Missing its score, the hand written parts bore the name of the composer, but little else, and remained something of a mystery until extra research found out more about it, as Band Librarian David Thomas explained to 4BR.

"Nobody knew anything more until we started to piece together little snippets of its past history.

Our longest serving member, Alywn Powell, recalled that it used to be played in the early 1950's, but final confirmation came through former principal cornet player C Brian Buckley, who played it in 1948 under his father who conducted Tredegar Band at the time."

Concert programme

Band archives have since unearthed an original concert programme from 1948, which crucially contained an explanation about the composition, which percussionist Gavin Pritchard of Jagrins Music, has since reset, complete with score, for publication.

According to the composer's programme notes, 'The Glory of Victory' portrays, '…a people's determination to overcome the distrust, unrest and warlike tendencies which beset our world. This noble determination, coupled with a prayerful appeal to Heaven, leads to a glorious victory which culminates in the joyful, rollicking finale."

Remembered

C Brian Buckley told 4BR: "I remember the concert in 1948 in Tredegar very well, as Harry Mortimer was also featured as guest soloist with Tredegar and the Melingriffith Works Bands, conducted by T J Powell himself. It's certainly proved popular."

'The Glory of Victory' portrays, '…a people's determination to overcome the distrust, unrest and warlike tendencies which beset our worldcomposer's programme notes

Television return

A snippet of the work will now be heard in a forthcoming Welsh language television series about the south Wales valleys to be aired on S4C in November.

"They don't write them like this anymore,"Tredegar's MD Ian Porthouse told 4BR.

"It's almost like Herold's 'Zampa' overture — although Brian told us that it was never published as T J Powell felt it a little too hard for the cornet payers of the time! He also believes that parts of it may have been used with his later 'Snowdon Fantasy'."

More gems

He added: "It's great fun though — so descriptive and with a great discordant ending. We will certainly be playing it again in concerts and hope it will lead other bands to unearth some long forgotten gems from their past too."