Exciting brass band weekend for under 22s in Wales
National Youth Arts Wales is delighted to be supporting an exciting opportunity for young brass players in Wales under the age of 22 led by the prestigious Cory Band. Thanks to support from Arts Council Wales (ACW) this digital August Bank Holiday weekend event will be free for all and consist of sectional and individual tuition and masterclasses from Cory Band tutors and full group sessions with Cory Band Musical Director Philip Harper. These will result in the production of some final performance videos featuring all participants soon after the event. The whole event will be delivered online, or semi-online, depending on government restrictions at the time.
Explaining the rationale for the new project, Philip Harper commented: “As we all try to find our way through this continuing lockdown, one of the big voids left in the musical life of young brass players in Wales is the cancellation of the National Youth Brass Band of Wales’s (NYBBW) Summer Course, which I was due to conduct and many Cory principals were due to tutor. We’re very pleased that National Youth Arts Wales (NYAW), the body which organises NYBBW, will be our partner in delivering this weekend.
“Entry requirements for NYBBW include Grade 8 in your instrument, however our Youth Brass Weekend will cater for all abilities with a unique modular approach. We will have shorter sessions available for beginner players which can be logged into and out of individually without any further commitment, right through to a full timetable for more advanced players where sessions run chronologically one after the other, and even the facility for individual lessons for a truly differentiated offer. So, this opportunity is open to absolutely every young brass player in Wales.
“At Cory Band we are itching to get back to the thrill of live music-making, and interacting with other musicians in the same room, but in the meantime we have begun to invest our efforts and develop new skills in online delivery. All aspects of this weekend can be enjoyed from participants’ homes, and we understand the need to build physical activity and other diversions into what we do, so it’s not just all day in front of a screen, especially on what might be a gloriously sunny Bank Holiday Weekend! We are very excited to be able to offer this, and we hope people will be excited to read about it.”
Gillian Mitchell, Chief Executive of National Youth Arts Wales said "This is a wonderful chance for our National Youth Brass Band Members from all over Wales to unite under Philip Harper's leadership once more and recreate some of the flavour of the residency they have sadly missed out on this Summer. Widening the entry criteria is also a fantastic opportunity for younger players who may aspire to join NYBBW in the future; to gain both the expert tuition to develop their technique as well as an insight into the wonderful community spirit being part of the Ensemble brings."
More information will be announced in due course, including registration details.
