Recognition of the achievements of the City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) Band organisation in South Wales has come from two new quarters this month.

Convention

The senior City of Cardiff M1 Band has just performed at the National Association of Brass Band Conductors National Convention, held in Gloucester, where they worked with NABBC President Russell Gray on an open rehearsal workshop on ‘Les Francs Juges’ ahead of their appearance at the Spring Festival in Blackpool in a few weeks time.

The band also performed new works by NABBC members and a short programme to celebrate their own recent successes, which they presented to the delegates to show how the organisation now encompasses five separate bands — from learners and non competing community band to their senior contesting counterparts.

Shortlist success

The success of the Melingriffith organisation has also seen them shortlisted for the prestigious W.S. Gwynn Williams Award.

Named after one of the founders of the famous Llangollen Eisteddfod, the award celebrates the achievements of musical organisations that have made the greatest progress in, or contribution to, music-making in Wales in the previous two years.

With the rapid, yet solid expansion of the Melingriffith organisation and involvement of young musicians at all levels of the band’s structure, we believe we are strong contenders for the £1000 prizeAlan Gwynant

Solid expansion

Band Chairman Alan Gwynant (above left) told 4BR: "With the rapid, yet solid expansion of the Melingriffith organisation and involvement of young musicians at all levels of the band’s structure, we believe we are strong contenders for the £1000 prize.

It would certainly come in very handy for instruments for our rapidly expanding M3 youth and M4 beginner bands which attract new members just about every week!"