Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

St David’s Day concert and celebration of Amelia Earhart (Burry Port’s moment in world history), featuring Burry Port Town Band, Burry Port, Burry Port Junior Band and the brass ensemble of the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment, at Memorial Hall, Burry Port. It is so often the case that inspirational stories lend themselves to equally inspirational tributes. It was certainly the case at Burry Port Memorial Hall when Burry Port Town Band staged the Welsh premiere of ‘Stillness’ a special composition celebrating the achievement of Amelia Earhart, the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a plane. Burry Port’s part in the Earhart story is well documented. In 1928, a seaplane carrying Earhart landed in the estuary and was later towed into Burry Port harbour. Nearly 89 years later, composer Tom Davoren was finally able to stage a ‘homecoming’ for his 15-minute-long musical tribute. Tom, who hails from Gower and made his first connection with Burry Port Town Band as a musician at th...

Saturday 27th October the Burry Port Town Band will host 'An Audience with the Band' at the St Mary's Church, Burry Port (7pm). The keynote feature of this event will be a discussion and performance of Tom Davoren's recently commissioned First Section National Finals music, Vivat! Tom, a rising star of the brass band world, although still in his twenties, was commissioned to write this by the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain and also has his own strong links with Burry Port Town Band, as when he was growing up on the Gower Peninsular he joined the Burry Port Youth Band before progressing to the Senior Band on Tuba. Now studying for his PhD at Bristol University under Professor John Pickard, Tom is delighted he can spend some time with the band and take part in this exciting new format to present the true reflection of what a modern brass band can be. Graham Howe, the Band's Chairman added "that we're excited by this new format event, we ho...