Lewis-Merthyr Band
"A damn fine band" - HRH Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII)
Founded in or before 1855, Lewis-Merthyr Band is the oldest brass band in South Wales' Rhondda Valleys. Originally known as the Cymmer Military and Cymmer (Porth) Colliery Band, Lewis Merthyr adopted its present title in 1949.
The band has been highly successful in competition throughout its history, becoming Champion Band of Wales, Welsh League Champions, Miner's Welfare Entertainments (CISWO) Champions and more.
Lewis Merthyr has represented Wales in the Championship section on eight occasions at the Royal Albert Hall, London, and at the European Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. The band has also won the Second and Third Section UK titles at the National Championships of Great Britain, in consecutive years. Lewis Merthyr is currently ranked in the First Section and were the 2015 Runner-Up WWBBA Champions; 2016 Runner-Up SEWBBA Champions & overall Runner-Up Welsh League Champions in both 2015 & 2016. 2017 was a particularly successful year for the band and saw Lewis Merthyr become the WWBBA and - for the first time in 21 years - overall Welsh League First Section Champions.
The band has been equally successful on the concert stage, performing at a wide variety of locations across Wales and beyond, including the Royal Albert Hall, London; Llangollen Pavilion; St David's Hall, Cardiff & the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. Lewis Merthyr has also performed for Royalty on a number of occasions, parading through the streets for the visit of His Majesty King George V and Queen Mary to Rhondda in 1912, and for the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, in 1932. Throughout its history, the band has performed with numerous leading artists, including "Signor Foli" (Allan James Foley) in the late 1800's, and with Sir Geraint Evans, Glyn Houston and Sir Bryn Terfel. In recent years, the band has also recently featured in a series of concerts under the baton of the renowned Welsh orchestral conductor Dr. Owain Arwel Hughes CBE. Those performances include a St David's Day Gala Concert at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; a performance in the Speech Room at Harrow School, London; and two performances at Wales' national classical music festival, the Welsh Proms, in July 2018 & 2019 at the national concert hall of Wales, St David's Hall, Cardiff.
Lewis Merthyr has featured in a wide range of radio & television broadcasts, dating back to a recently rediscovered BBC Radio broadcast from 1927, and Pathé newsreel footage of the band marching before King Edward VIII in 1932. More recently, the band was featured in the 2016 BBC television programme "The Taff: The River That Made Wales" which has been repeatedly screened on BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Wales. In Autumn 2017, Lewis Merthyr recorded a special television feature with the renowned international baritone soloist Sir Bryn Terfel, which was screened nationwide on Christmas Day 2017, Christmas Eve 2018 and for the opening night of the 2018 National Eisteddfod of Wales. The band featured again on nationwide television, performing live in the National Eisteddfod, on stage at the Donald Gordon Theatre in the iconic Wales Millennium Centre the following day.
Lewis Merthyr Band has featured in a wide range of major events, performing on numerous occasions at the Principality Stadium, playing to 52 981 people plus international television audience for the Wales vs Italy warm up match for the 2015 Rugby World Cup; to record Pro14 crowds of 68,262 and 62,338 for Judgement Day 2016 & 2018; and for the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 World Golden Oldies International Rugby Festival, which featured 120 participating teams representing 25 different nations from across the globe.
Lewis Merthyr was also the core of Wales' first all-female band for each of Wales' 2017 Women's Rugby Six Nations Championship home matches, and again for the 2018 Women's Suffrage Centennial "Processions" event at Cardiff Castle in July 2018. Lewis Merthyr also performed for the televised Women's Rugby Six Nations international matches at Cardiff Arms Park in 2019 and 2020.
Lewis Merthyr featured in National Theatre Wales' 2016 “City of the Unexpected” Roald Dahl 100 celebrations, performing across Cardiff city centre to tens of thousands of people, and which was again the focus of national television broadcasts. In April 2018, the band also supported the 11.2 metre "Man Engine" events at Cyfartha Castle and Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. In June 2018 the band's symphonic brass ensemble performed for the launch of the Music Education report for Wales at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, additional contributors to which included Sir Karl Jenkins, Nicola Benedetti CBE, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and former Royal harpist Claire Jones. In October 2019, the band then travelled to Belgium to perform alongside groups from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and South Korea at the Internationale Taptoe Belgie, held at the 5000 seat capacity Versluys Dome, Ostend.
Lewis Merthyr Band has a long history of performing and broadcasting new works, and has held a close association with numerous prominent composers, notably Mervyn Burtch and John Golland. The band also gave the premiere broadcasts of Dr. Peter Graham's "Dimensions" and Goff Richards' "Oceans" on BBC Radio in the 1980s, and in 2018 the band gave the premiere performances of Helen Woods' "Man Engine Anthem" and Dr. Christopher Wood's "Aberfan", also undertaking the premiere recording of the latter on the band's most recent commercial recording "Brass & Voices of Wales" with the massed choirs of Bridgend & Pendyrus, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes. Through the latter half of 2020, with the support of the Arts Council of Wales, the band will now explore the project "New Directions", a partnership with a selection of leading composers and performers from across Wales and wider.
Lewis-Merthyr remain thoroughly committed to supporting our local community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, through the presentation of concert performances across the county borough and wider, supporting local events & functions, and providing tuition for local young brass & percussion musicians through our Youth Band programme. The band looks forward to continuing to represent Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wales at the highest level throughout all our performances across the nation and beyond.
Registered Charity No. 1000499
www.lewismerthyrband.com
The band has been highly successful in competition throughout its history, becoming Champion Band of Wales, Welsh League Champions, Miner's Welfare Entertainments (CISWO) Champions and more.
Lewis Merthyr has represented Wales in the Championship section on eight occasions at the Royal Albert Hall, London, and at the European Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. The band has also won the Second and Third Section UK titles at the National Championships of Great Britain, in consecutive years. Lewis Merthyr is currently ranked in the First Section and were the 2015 Runner-Up WWBBA Champions; 2016 Runner-Up SEWBBA Champions & overall Runner-Up Welsh League Champions in both 2015 & 2016. 2017 was a particularly successful year for the band and saw Lewis Merthyr become the WWBBA and - for the first time in 21 years - overall Welsh League First Section Champions.
The band has been equally successful on the concert stage, performing at a wide variety of locations across Wales and beyond, including the Royal Albert Hall, London; Llangollen Pavilion; St David's Hall, Cardiff & the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. Lewis Merthyr has also performed for Royalty on a number of occasions, parading through the streets for the visit of His Majesty King George V and Queen Mary to Rhondda in 1912, and for the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, in 1932. Throughout its history, the band has performed with numerous leading artists, including "Signor Foli" (Allan James Foley) in the late 1800's, and with Sir Geraint Evans, Glyn Houston and Sir Bryn Terfel. In recent years, the band has also recently featured in a series of concerts under the baton of the renowned Welsh orchestral conductor Dr. Owain Arwel Hughes CBE. Those performances include a St David's Day Gala Concert at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; a performance in the Speech Room at Harrow School, London; and two performances at Wales' national classical music festival, the Welsh Proms, in July 2018 & 2019 at the national concert hall of Wales, St David's Hall, Cardiff.
Lewis Merthyr has featured in a wide range of radio & television broadcasts, dating back to a recently rediscovered BBC Radio broadcast from 1927, and Pathé newsreel footage of the band marching before King Edward VIII in 1932. More recently, the band was featured in the 2016 BBC television programme "The Taff: The River That Made Wales" which has been repeatedly screened on BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Wales. In Autumn 2017, Lewis Merthyr recorded a special television feature with the renowned international baritone soloist Sir Bryn Terfel, which was screened nationwide on Christmas Day 2017, Christmas Eve 2018 and for the opening night of the 2018 National Eisteddfod of Wales. The band featured again on nationwide television, performing live in the National Eisteddfod, on stage at the Donald Gordon Theatre in the iconic Wales Millennium Centre the following day.
Lewis Merthyr Band has featured in a wide range of major events, performing on numerous occasions at the Principality Stadium, playing to 52 981 people plus international television audience for the Wales vs Italy warm up match for the 2015 Rugby World Cup; to record Pro14 crowds of 68,262 and 62,338 for Judgement Day 2016 & 2018; and for the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 World Golden Oldies International Rugby Festival, which featured 120 participating teams representing 25 different nations from across the globe.
Lewis Merthyr was also the core of Wales' first all-female band for each of Wales' 2017 Women's Rugby Six Nations Championship home matches, and again for the 2018 Women's Suffrage Centennial "Processions" event at Cardiff Castle in July 2018. Lewis Merthyr also performed for the televised Women's Rugby Six Nations international matches at Cardiff Arms Park in 2019 and 2020.
Lewis Merthyr featured in National Theatre Wales' 2016 “City of the Unexpected” Roald Dahl 100 celebrations, performing across Cardiff city centre to tens of thousands of people, and which was again the focus of national television broadcasts. In April 2018, the band also supported the 11.2 metre "Man Engine" events at Cyfartha Castle and Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. In June 2018 the band's symphonic brass ensemble performed for the launch of the Music Education report for Wales at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, additional contributors to which included Sir Karl Jenkins, Nicola Benedetti CBE, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and former Royal harpist Claire Jones. In October 2019, the band then travelled to Belgium to perform alongside groups from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and South Korea at the Internationale Taptoe Belgie, held at the 5000 seat capacity Versluys Dome, Ostend.
Lewis Merthyr Band has a long history of performing and broadcasting new works, and has held a close association with numerous prominent composers, notably Mervyn Burtch and John Golland. The band also gave the premiere broadcasts of Dr. Peter Graham's "Dimensions" and Goff Richards' "Oceans" on BBC Radio in the 1980s, and in 2018 the band gave the premiere performances of Helen Woods' "Man Engine Anthem" and Dr. Christopher Wood's "Aberfan", also undertaking the premiere recording of the latter on the band's most recent commercial recording "Brass & Voices of Wales" with the massed choirs of Bridgend & Pendyrus, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes. Through the latter half of 2020, with the support of the Arts Council of Wales, the band will now explore the project "New Directions", a partnership with a selection of leading composers and performers from across Wales and wider.
Lewis-Merthyr remain thoroughly committed to supporting our local community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, through the presentation of concert performances across the county borough and wider, supporting local events & functions, and providing tuition for local young brass & percussion musicians through our Youth Band programme. The band looks forward to continuing to represent Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wales at the highest level throughout all our performances across the nation and beyond.
Registered Charity No. 1000499
www.lewismerthyrband.com
Lewis Merthyr Band is indebted to the following organisations for their current support
- The Arts Council of Wales
- The Moondance Foundation
- Welsh Government
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
- The Arts Council of Wales
- The Moondance Foundation
- Welsh Government
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Brass & Voices of Wales CD Recording
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The band's most recent recording "Brass & Voices of Wales", featuring Lewis Merthyr Band and the Massed Male Choirs of Bridgend & Pendyrus conducted by Welsh Proms Artistic Director Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, is available on CD or for instant download
The disc features much of Wales’ most beloved music, together with the premiere recording of a new work by Dr. Christopher Wood, entitled and dedicated to the memory of "Aberfan"; Gareth Wood’s scintillating creative arrangement of "Sosban Fach"; the Miner’s hymn “Gresford”; music from the iconic Hollywood movie “Zulu” and much more. For full information and to purchase a disc by mail order, visit www.lewismerthyrband.com/cd or to download the album direct today, visit our Bandcamp site at lewismerthyrband.bandcamp.com |
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BBC Feature: The River TaffThe band was featured in Episode 2 of the BAFTA nominated BBC television production "The Taff: The River That Made Wales" with presenter Will Millard. The programme has been broadcast on BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Wales on numerous repeated occasions. The excerpt here is the central feature focusing on Lewis-Merthyr Band and Trustee Ivor England, a former miner at the Lewis-Merthyr Colliery
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Christmas Day Broadcast: Cwm Rhondda with Sir Bryn TerfelLewis-Merthyr Band here perform Arwel Hughes' setting of Cwm Rhondda, which was specially transcribed for the band and Sir Bryn Terfel by Christopher Painter and broadcast nationwide on Christmas Day 2017 and Christmas Eve 2018.
For further archive videos of the band in performance, visit the video section of the website here |
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Personnel
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Musical Director: Craig Roberts
Principal Cornet: Louise Russell Solo Cornet: Gareth Hanson Solo Cornet: Robert Sweet Solo Cornet: Fred Nicholas Soprano Cornet: Morgan Rees Repiano Cornet: Sam Bridger 2nd Cornet: David Griffiths 2nd Cornet: Rachel Evans 2nd Cornet: Belinda Harris 3rd Cornet: Tyler Webber 3rd Cornet: Ffion Short 3rd Cornet: Amie Roberts Flugelhorn: Robert Smith Solo Horn: Rhiannon Griffiths 1st Horn: David Brimble 2nd Horn: Allen Wells 1st Baritone: Lynsey Orr 1st Baritone: Claire Thomas 2nd Baritone: Brian Paull Solo Trombone: Nils Richards 2nd Trombone: Colin Lee Bass Trombone: Dave Short Euphonium: Ron Andrews Euphonium: Gareth Davies Eb Bass: Paul Stephens Eb Bass: Elizabeth Homewood Eb Bass: James Davies Bb Bass: Paul Williams Bb Bass: Howell Billington Percussion: Stephen "Fly" Harris Percussion: Stuart Griffiths Percussion: Joanne Huxton Percussion: POSITION VACANT |
If you are interested in membership, please contact us via the contact page of the site here, or through our various social media channels, accessed via the icons above
Rehearsals are held on Monday & Wednesday evenings from 8:00-9:45pm at the Bandroom, 5 Office Street, Cymmer, Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, CF39 9AL. Guest players are always welcome at rehearsals. Seat share options are also available All membership enquiries will be dealt with in the strictest confidence. Lewis-Merthyr also operate a Youth Band, further information on which can be found here Musical DirectorLewis-Merthyr Band Musical Director Craig Roberts is one of the most well known and widely respected brass band conductors in Wales.
He has performed in some of the finest concert halls in the UK and overseas, touring across five continents of the globe and working with some of the world's finest artists. Craig has been successful in competition at the highest level, winning the Welsh League Championship on three occasions; the North Wales Championships twice; and all contests in the Welsh League Championships series. In 2004 he was named Conductor of the Year by SEWBBA and WWBBA for his achievements. Further detailed information on Craig and his activities can be found in the Musical Director section of the website here |
Trustees
Brian Paull
Paul Williams
Ivor England
Paul Williams
Ivor England
