Porthywaen Silver Band is a charity (reg number 1092712). 

Our charitable aim is to provide musical opportunities and tuition, particularly in the style of brass band music and to give public performances for the enjoyment of the surrounding community.

Porthywaen Band provides the community:

1. Musical tuition, free instrument loan and a band to join of an appropriate musical level.

2. Support through playing concerts, leading carnival parades, attending fetes and village shows, helping local groups fund raise for their charities and supporting the Royal British Legion in their remembrance events.

3. The opportunity to belong to a group, to enjoy the company of others with a similar interest and to share a passion for playing music.  This is equally important to both adult members and the young people who all report that the family atmosphere of the band and their friendships within the band is important to them.

A brief history of PORTHYWAEN SILVER BAND

The band has its origins in choral music. In the 1920's the nearby village of Llynclys had a Male Voice Choir which was accompanied on cornet by Len Evans. Len then trained two other local men, Arthur Davies and Doug Lloyd, to play brass and accompany him with the choir. Cyril Gillham, an accomplished flute player, joined forces and a quartet was then in existence. The choir ceased to exist by 1934 but interest within the quartet was strong. A meeting was held on the 22nd May 1934 at a disused office at the Llynclys Hill Lime Works. It was this meeting which saw the beginnings of the Porthywaen Silver Band.  By the end of 1934 it is reported there were 20 players in the band.

The band took up residence in its current home in 1964.  Before then various venues were used in the locality.  The hall is a testament to the skills and dedication ofthe members at the time ad others in the community.  The band members built the hall themselves undertaking every task from clearing the site,to final paintwork.  The whole project took 5 years and every concrete block in the building was cast by had.  A remarkable achievement.  In 2000/01 the hall was extended and modernised using a grant from the National Lottery Charities Board.  You can find out more about our band hall - including how to hire it - on the Band Hall page. 

Porthywaen has been in continual existence since 1934 partly because it puts strong emphasis on helping young people to learn to play brass instruments. Porthywaen band has survived when other bands in the surrounding villages, such as Llandrinio, Llanymynech, Trefonnen and Llangynog are no longer in existence. Porthywaen Silver Band currently has around 110 active members. It is located at its own bandhall in the small village of Porthywaen, just south of Oswestry and 5 miles from the Welsh border.