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Tredegar Town Band's history can be traced as far back as 1849 when they are recorded as leading a giant procession to celebrate the opening of a new mill for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. In 1876 facing extinction local citizens met in the Town Hall and pledged financial support. From the very beginning of industrial Tredegar, and its two ironworks and numerous coal-mines the sound of brass has echoed from the midst of heavy industry..
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During the 1920s and 1930s the Band was known as the Tredegar Workmen’s Silver Prize Band and was of a standard and potential to attract conductors from the North of England willing to move to the Tredegar area to conduct the Band on a permanent basis.
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The war years of 1939 – 1945 were comparatively lean years competitively, with many of the Band’s personnel being in the Forces, while others in essential occupations worked difficult unsocial hours which affected attendance at rehearsals. Many concerts were given in hospitals, munitions factories and local halls to raise funds for those in the Forces. Consequently, after the war had ended like many other Bands in the locality, a process of rebuilding began that was coincidental with Con Buckley being appointed MD.
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The early 1950s marked the first serious breakthrough of the Band as a progressive organisation, widening both their competitive and concert horizons. Travelling to contests in Oxford, Reading and Gloucester, the Band notched up a succession of prize winning performances with the first major success being gained at the Class ‘B’ national finals held in Kensington Old Town Hall in 1955 where the Band were runners up to the Chapel-en-le-Frith Band from Derbyshire.
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Despite this success, Tredegar had previously enjoyed Championship Section status throughout the 1960s, first qualifying for the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall London, in 1964, when Gilbert Vinter’s Symphony of Marches was used as the regional test piece. The Band’s first performance in the Championship Section at the National Finals in London coincided with yet another Gilbert Vinter classic – Variations on a Ninth. The Band drew the dreaded number one and had the dual privilege of warming up on the National Anthem and playing to a full hall (it was in those days!) for the first performance of this superb test piece. Certainly the soloists of the Band performed with distinction on that day with John Childs on Solo Euphonium playing his high ‘D’ pause for an interminable length of time! Perhaps it is worth emphasising that at this time the Final’s test pieces were released to eligible competing Bands just 6 weeks prior to the date of the Contest. This seriously curtailed rehearsal time.
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