European Study Day with Cory
Cory Band has announced a special day of study in the week of the European Championships, taking place at the Cory Band bandroom in South Wales and including the opportunity to sit in on the band’s final rehearsal before heading to Birmingham to defend the title. The day will take place on Thursday 28th April with study sessions from 11:00 until 18:00 and then the rehearsal from 19:30 until 21:30.
There will be two strands of possible study, one delivered by Musical Director Philip Harper about how to prepare a band for a contest and conducting in general, the other hosted by Principal Cornet Tom Hutchinson about all aspects of brass playing and how to become the best player you can be. The day will be supported by Besson Musical Instruments, a key partner of the Cory Band. Having heard Philip and Tom ‘talking the talk’, the evening rehearsal will give participants a chance to see them both ‘walking the walk’ at close quarters, as the Cory Band completes an intense final rehearsal – its last before travelling to Birmingham the following day.
The cost of the day is £150 which includes all tuition and materials as well as a fish and chip supper. All sessions will take place at Ty Cory (the Home of Cory) in Ton Pentre, Rhondda where the band now has its home and where over a century’s worth of memorabilia is on display.
Philip Harper commented: “We’re so pleased to hear that the European will be taking place as planned in April this year, and Tom and I are keen to offer this study day both to people travelling to the UK for the competition, as well as those who are generally interested in brass banding. When we did a similar day just before the British Open in 2019 it filled up very quickly and we ended up with a waiting list. On this occasion, because of people’s potentially reduced confidence in travel, we are just asking at this stage for expressions of interest, with no required financial commitment. As the next few weeks pan out we will firm up all the arrangements.”
Anyone who is interested in this European Study Day is invited to express their interest by emailing philip@coryband.com and stating whether they would prefer to sign up for the conducting or playing version of the day.
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