At Porthywaen there are four groups:
- Porthywaen Silver Band
- The Youth and Training Band
- The Beginners Band
- The Starter Group
We pride ourselves on our strong home grown ethos. There is also a warm welcome awaiting players joining us who have not come up through the Porthywaen ranks. Progression through the bands is on ability.
We provide instruments and tuition to anyone wishing to learn to play in a traditional brass band at no cost. There are no fees and no subscriptions. All we ask is commitment to our activities to generate income so we can continue to be free to all.
To enquire about joining any of the bands please contact us.
The Silver Band
We are currently a forth section band competing in the Midlands Region. We undertake a wide range of engagements throughout the year, often supporting local good causes. We also march and as a result are often in demand to lead local parades.
The band undertake an annual summer visit to Ypres in Belgium where we perform at the Last Post ceremony at the Mennin Gate.
Dougie Graham, our MD, is a retired Royal Marines Band Master.
Rehearsals on a Monday night from 19:30 to 21:30 at the band hall. Please contact us for more details.
The Youth and Training Band (PYTB)
In their distinctive bright red jumpers the Youth and Training Band are a familiar local sight. The Youth and Training Band usually undertake many public engagements. PYTB also enjoy competing very successfully in local music festivals.
The Musical Director is Simon Fisher a local teacher and multi instrumentalist.
Rehearsals are at the band hall on a Friday night from 19:30 to 21:30. Please contact us for more details.
The Beginners Band
The Beginners Band is where our young (and not so young players) start to get used to playing in a group. They undertake two concerts per year, a summer and a Christmas concert in the band hall to show off their developing skills. This group is open to children, young people and adults.
Enthusiastically led by Danny Williams and Ceri Broomhall both of whom started their playing careers with Porthywaen. The group meet on a Friday night at the band hall from 19:30 to 20:30. Please
contact us for more details.
Starter Group
Music is known to help develop many useful skills for life. This is where for many the Porthywaen journey starts. Everyone comes together to learn the basics of reading music and playing a brass instrument. Tuition is provided by members of the senior band. Young people from about the age seven upwards are welcome and we have equal numbers of adults who join the group. Adults join this group for many reasons including learning alongside their children, returning to playing which they had started in their own childhood or finding the time to fulfil an ambition to learn an instrument within a social group.
The group meets on a Friday night at the band hall from 19:30 until 20:30.
Tuition and instrument loan are all provided free of charge. Please contact us for more details.
Listen to a special recording of Porthywaen Silver Band performing the march Border Men.
Border Men was written in 1959 for the band by life long member and band President Mr John Pugh MBE. (pictured centre).
This recording was made in 2018 in celebration of John's 80th birthday.
