Symphonic Winds take Gold at National Concert Band Festival

Cardiff University Symphonic Winds ensemble recently took Gold at the National Concert Band Festival regional festival.

The ensemble entered the Open class, the ‘premiere wind band class’ at the festival, and was awarded the Gold award for their performances of Vaughan Williams’ Toccata Marziale and Sketches on a Tudor Psalm by Fisher Tull.

Held in All Saints Academy, Cheltenham on Sunday 26 November, the judges included former Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, previous musical director of the RAF Central Band.

The ensemble are now waiting to hear if they have been invited to the NCBF National Festival at The Royal Northern College of Music in April.

Ensemble director David Gordon-Shute said of the festival, his first, “The performance of the students was excellent and we are delighted to have taken the Gold award. Congratulations are due to all members of the ensemble. This being the first time I have attended NCBF, I found the process very enlightening. Judge Duncan Stubbs gave us feedback which was largely positive but also gave us some good pointers for the future.”

Cardiff University Symphonic Winds Ensemble, introduced in 2017, gives regular concerts, performing pieces from throughout the centuries, from Thomas Tallis to John Adams.

The National Concert Band Festival has been running for over 30 years and is the UK’s largest wind band and big band festival.