Tredegar Band has given the world premiere of a new soprano cornet solo inspired by the life and work of the founder of the UK's National Health Service — Aneurin Bevan.

'Legacy' by Welsh composer Tom Davoren was commissioned by the band with funding through the Welsh music organisation Ty Cerdd, and was performed as the centre-piece of a special 70th anniversary NHS Day in the town's Bedwellty Park.

Tredegar-ise

It also saw the world's media record the celebrations of Bevan's vision to 'Tredegar-ise' the nation's health care system with the band earlier leading a procession of over 1000 people through the town accompanied by trade unions and health bodies as well as leading political figures and Bevan's three grand-nieces.

Bevan was born in Tredegar in 1897, and after working in the local pit and becoming a local councillor, went on to become one of the leading figures of the post war Labour Government under Clement Attlee — battling against the odds to give the nation the National Health Service in July 1948.

Community occasion

"It was a wonderful community occasion,"Tredegar MD Ian Porthouse told 4BR. "There was huge crowd around the bandstand to hear the premiere performed by our sop player Ian Roberts — all with the added pressure of the world's media trained on him.

The response was fantastic — and we were delighted that a snippet of it made it to the BBC 10 o'clock news."

Houses of Parliament

He added: "We will now perform the work again in the heart of the Houses of Parliament on Thursday, and then the work will be made available free of charge to any band to perform anywhere in the world."

Meanwhile, composer Tom Davoren added: "The commission through Ty Cerdd and Tredegar has already proven to be a huge success — with a further 'Legacy' to come as it will also form part of a larger brass band work giving the opportunity for it to be performed for many more years to come.

It's a work that recognises the struggle to get the NHS created, but ends on a note of triumph — a huge top C — that like the NHS should be admired around the world."

It's a work that recognises the struggle to get the NHS created, but ends on a note of triumph — a huge top C — that like the NHS should be admired around the worldTom Davoren

Congratulations

Deborah Keyser, Ty Cerdd's Director, welcomed the commission. "We send many congratulations to Tredegar Band and Tom Davoren: 'Legacy' has played an important part in Tredegar's NHS celebrations, and it's fitting that the work will be performed in Westminster.

Supporting new work to be composed and enjoyed by audiences is at the heart of our mission, and we hope 'Legacy' will become a part of brass band repertoire for many years to come."