Treorchy Comprehensive School Band
The Treorchy Comprehensive School Band, (destined for international renown), was formed by the headmaster, the late Percy Griffiths, in September 1953, who had made successful overtures to the Committee of the Parc and Dare Band for old instruments to be donated to the school.
The instruments were repaired, and Ieuan Morgan, Principal Euphonium with the Park and Dare Band, was invited by the headmaster to form the school band.
photos to follow
In 1955, the band competed at the National Eisteddfod at Pwllheli and was placed 4th in Class D. An indication of the standard achieved by the band at that time is that, between 1955-58, eight of its number became members of the Park and Dare Band.
Consequent upon players
progressing in this way, the school band was rebuilt in 1957 and then went
on to create banding history.
Between 1959 and 1962, it became the first school band to ever graduate from Class D to the Championship Section in consequent years and is the only school band to ever compete in the National Brass Band Championship Finals.
During this period it carried off many prizes, including 3rd prize in Class D of the National Brass Band Championship of Great Britain.
At the National
Eisteddfod, despite the youth of its members, it won both the Class D and
Youth Sections, and on its return home, the band was rapturously acclaimed
by hundreds of enthusiastic supporters who had gathered at the Stag Square
in Treorchy.
The new Upper Rhondda
Comprehensive School was opened in September 1965, and the players who had
left the school joined the Park and Dare Band, of which Ieuan had been
made Musical Director. Ieuan duly reformed the school band, which
continued its outstanding record of success, reigning supreme in Wales
from 1975 to 1984, at which time it was beaten into 3rd place
in the Welsh Youth Brass Band Championship at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.
Apart from the three years in which it was awarded a bye as the Championship Band, it won the Welsh Youth Championship on every occasion during that period.
In nine consecutive
years, competing in the Butlins Youth Championship of Great Britain, at no
less a venue than the Royal Albert Hall, London, it carried off the First
Prize on three occasions, the Second Prize on five occasions and the Third
Prize on one occasion.
In 1983, the name of the
school was changed again, to Treorchy Comprehensive School and the band,
under its new name, continued its success story. Prizes still came its way
in the Welsh Youth Championships and, in addition, it competed in the
National Festival of Music for Youth at the Royal Festival Hall, London,
being awarded the Outstanding Performance Award in 1987.
It represented Wales at
the European Youth Brass Band Championships at Falkirk from 1989 to 1991,
and returned in 1994 to compete in the Centenary Competition of the
Championships.
The Urdd National
Eisteddfod, over the years, has testified to the outstanding successes of
this remarkable band and, indeed, to that of individual members who, in
the brass band ensemble and in solo competitions, have won the premier
awards.
Recently, the Band won
the Youth Championships of Great Britain in 1996, and were prize winners
in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
In the past forty nine
years, the band has featured many times on radio and television and has
appeared with such world-renowned celebrities as the late Sir Geraint
Evans and Stuart Burrows, and the band recently performed for the Queen
when she visited Treorchy as part of her Golden Jubilee Tour.
Several of its former members are now full-time professional musicians with some of the country’s leading orchestras, including:
Dr Trevor Herbert - Professor of Music at the Open University, Huw Jones - Tuba, Gregory Morgan - Trombone,
Jonathan Morgan - Percussion, Kevin Morgan - Tuba, Robert Price - Trombone, Gareth Rees - Trumpet,
Timothy Wright - Percussion.
Many others are playing
with famous bands and orchestras throughout Great Britain.
(Footnote: Gregory and Kevin Morgan - listed above - being the two sons of Ieuan Morgan MBE)