Tredegar Town Band
The musical origins of Tredegar Town Band can be traced back to 1849 when a local brass band from the Welsh Valley town was reported to have led a procession to celebrate the opening of a new mill for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. Tredegar enjoyed increasing contesting success after the Second World War, under the direction of first, Cornelius Buckley, followed later by John Childs. This resulted in the Second Section Champion Band of Great Britain title in 1973, their first Champion Band of Wales title in 1974 and victory at the Grand Shield in 1976. Firmly established in the top echelon of brass banding ever since, Tredegar Town Band has been Champion Band of Wales a further eight times. Welsh Regional Champion on eleven occasions, as well as securing multiple Pontins, Welsh National Eisteddfod, Welsh Open, Yeovil, BBC Radio Wales and Wychavon titles. Twice the band were runners-up at the National Championships of Great Britain, in 1993, and 2003, as well as the British Open in 1996, and claimed podium finishes at the European Brass Band Championships in 1991 and 2011.

The latest contesting renaissance came with the appointment of Ian Porthouse as Musical Director in 2008, immediately regaining the Welsh Area title and subsequently achieving increasingly impressive domestic and national contesting results. 2010 was truly historic, with the band claiming no less than seven major domestic and national titles, culminating with the unique double feat of winning the Grand Shield and the British Open Championship in the same year.

Voted ‘2010 Band of Year’, and Ian Porthouse the ‘Conductor of the Year’ in recognition of their outstanding achievements by the readers of the influential online magazine 4barsrest.com, Tredegar continue to enjoy top level competitive success, winning the 2011 All England Masters International title, as well as being placed third at the European Championships in Montreux, which saw the band rise to number two in the brass band world rankings.

Ian Porthouse
was born in Cumbria in 1967 into a family of musicians. His father, a cornetist and mother a pianist/singer.

At the age of 5 he began to take an interest in his Dads trumpet and joined Flimby Saxhorn Silver Band on 3rd Cornet where his father was principal cornet, within 5 years he would take over the end chair himself. Also around this time Ian became a founder member of the Cumbria Youth Brass Band under Richard Evans, who was to have a big impact on his career.

At the age of 16, Ian became the leader of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and led the band for three years in total.

Ian took up the baton with Tredegar Town Band in 2008 and has lead the band to the National Finals every year since. Ian is also the only conductor ever to lead a band to victory at the Grand Shield and British Open in the same year with Tredegar’s memorable double in 2010.

Ian is currently head of Brass Band Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire and is in high demand as a professional conductor, tutor and adjudicator.

Cory Band
has been the number one ranked brass band in the world for the past eight years. Based in the Rhondda Valley, Wales, it was founded in 1884. In 2016 the band reclaimed its European Champions title in Lille, France.

Robert Childs
Dr. Childs’ status as a professional musician encompasses many fields of music making. He is Director of Brass Band Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama; Musical Director of both the National Youth Brass Band of Wales and the famous Cory Band; a founder and Director of Doyen Recordings Ltd, Performing Arts Education Ltd. and Prima Vista Musikk Ltd.; a Trustee and advisor to the Harry Mortimer Trust; a tutor and council member to the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain; and a world renowned euphonium soloist.

Robert conducted and performed with the Yorkshire-based Black Dyke Band for almost ten years and before that he played under Elgar Howarth with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. During this time he also gave numerous solo recitals and made guest appearances as a euphonium soloist with leading orchestras, wind orchestras and brass bands throughout the world. He has performed in the Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Grieg Hall; and has given concerto performances in the Royal Festival Hall and Sydney Opera House. In1985 Robert was awarded the coveted title ‘International Euphonium Player of the Year’ and together with his brother Nicholas is regarded as one of the finest euphonium players of his generation.

In May 2000, Robert was delighted to accept an invitation to become the Professional Musical Director of the Cory Band from the Rhondda in South Wales, thus re-uniting him with Wales and associating him with the band he has held in such high esteem since he was a boy. In a short space of time Robert revitalised brass banding in Wales by steering his new band to win the British Open Championship, the National Championship and runner-up at the European Championship in a single season.