On the evening of Saturday 27 October, a mere fortnight after performing at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the National Brass Band Championships, the Cory Band had the enviable task of featuring in the 22nd Festival of Male Choirs as promoted and hosted by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. This biennial event has become an inimitable Welsh experience since its inception in 1969 and showcased some of the finest vocal talent on offer including soloists David Kempster and Elizabeth Donovan not to mention the ten male voice choirs invited by the hosts. This year also saw the welcome return of renowned choral master, Alwyn Humphreys.

This spectacular evening of Welsh music making began with the Cory Band, 1000 of the finest male Welsh voices and the massed sound of the capacity audience all led superbly by guest conductor David Childs in a rousing performance of the National Anthem, preceded by Gordon Jacob'92s impressive fanfare.


Guest Conductors - Alwyn Humphreys & David Childs

Cory continued to show their fine form throughout the concert, and their accompaniment of the choral items was excellent. Alwyn Humphreys was full of praise for the Welsh band stating that '93It was a huge thrill to conduct Cory. Not only are they fantastically professional, but a great bunch of people to work with. Together with the the choir, vocal soloists, organist, and pianist they created a magnificent sound, enhanced through wonderfully creative arrangements by Rodney Newton.'94

The Band was also able to show their class as they performed their two solo items, a fantasia on Welsh Themes by Gareth Wood, including classics such as Men of Harlech and Sosban Fach, as well as treating the audience to a scintillating performance of Paul Lovatt-Cooper'92s Enter the Galaxies. These solo items were again directed by David Childs, whom it appears is just as at home on the Rostrum at the Royal Albert Hall, as he is with a euphonium. Keith Warren, Chairman of the London Welsh Male Voice Choir summed up Cory'92s contribution to the concert, "The Cory Band was in brilliant form at the Festival and their contribution was much appreciated by the capacity audience. Their music was tight, beautiful and disciplined reflecting the brilliance of individual soloists, as well as the ability of their conductor to ensure that together they created a unified sound. They clearly deserve the title of World Champion Brass Band".



As well as being a landmark occasion for Welsh music making this concert held another significance for the Cory Band, alluded to from the stage by compere Frank Lincoln. The evening marked the final performance of Matthew Jenkins (euphonium player with the band for 5 years) as well as providing the debut of new euphonium player, Daniel Thomas. David Childs, paid tribute to his deputy for the evening by saying, '93I'92m sad to see Matthew leave the band; he'92s a cracking player, a good friend and a true bandsman. The concert gave everyone at Cory the opportunity to wish him well for the future, whilst also welcoming his talented replacement on 2nd euphonium, sixteen year old Dan Thomas.'94


Dan Thomas & Mat Jenkins

The concert concluded with a plethora of well deserved thanks to all those involved in the smooth running of the event, before the packed Albert Hall demanded encores of the traditional Welsh hymn, Cwm Rhondda before joining forces with the performers on stage with a particularly moving Welsh National Anthem. It truly was a very special evening displaying the musicianship which has given Wales its well deserved affectionate name of '91The Land of Song'92.

Highlights from the Festival have already been broadcast on BBC radio and will later be televised on S4C prior to the release of 2010 London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs DVD.