Cory Band

Saturday 23rd March 2024

One of the oldest and best known brass bands in the world, formed in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

Formed in 1884, it originally bore the name 'Ton Temperance'. In 1895 Sir Clifford Cory, the local colliery owner, heard the band and offered to provide financial assistance, resulting in the band's change of name to Cory.

In 1980 the band became European Champion for the first time and in 1984, its centenary year, it won the third in a hat-trick of National titles at the Royal Albert Hall, London, conducted by the charismatic Major Arthur Kenney.

In 2000 the band achieved an historic double by winning both the Nationals and, for the first time in its history, the British Open, conducted by Dr. Robert Childs. In 2008-10 the band achieved a hat-trick of European Brass Band Champion titles.

Since 2012 the band has been conducted by Philip Harper, winning another four European titles, four Nationals, seven Brass in Concert titles, and three British Open titles. In 2014 it became the inaugural winner of TV Channel S4C's Band Cymru programme and repeated this achievement in 2018. It toured Australia in 2013, the USA in 2016 and 2019 and South Korea in 2022.

The Cory Band has also developed musically outside of the contest field. In 2000, together with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales it was appointed as resident ensemble to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

In 2005 the band made history giving the première performance of his Gaia Symphony at the prestigious Cheltenham International Festival. The Symphony was broadcast live on Radio 3, and lasting over an hour in duration, is currently the largest scale original work in the repertory.