Our Trombone Section

Christopher Thomas - 1st Trombone

Chris began playing at the age of 12, under the experienced tutelage of John Leach. Membership of the Mid Glamorgan Youth Band (with most of the current Cory Band!) and then the National Youth Brass Band of Wales ensured swift progress.

At the age of 16, he detoured across the Severn Bridge to Sun Life and spent four years there before joining the Cory Band as Solo Trombone in 1989. A long road that went through Stockport, Auckland, Bedwas & Tredegar led back to Ton Pentre, when Chris re-joined Cory in May, 2000.

Chris has been British Trombone Champion on numerous occasions. He was British Open Solo Champion twice and has represented UK banding twice in the 'International Brass Musician of the Year' contest in New Zealand, with one win and one runner-up spot.

He is trombone tutor to the National Youth Brass Bands of Wales & Switzerland and has performed as Soloist with them on a number of occasions, the most recent of which was in July, 2007, where he was featured in Alun Hoddinott's Concerto Grosso.

In November, Chris won the Don Lusher award at the Brass in Concert Championships, as the outstanding trombone player at the contest.

Gareth Robinson - 2nd Trombone

In August 2000 Gareth began his comprehensive school education at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun and it was soon after that his trombone career began. Under the tuition of Wyndham Williams, Gareth joined Treherbert Junior Band and later the Upper Rhondda Brass Band, competing at local competitions in the fourth section.

Around this time he regularly entered and won solo competitions around the UK including the Welsh Open Solo Championships in 2005 and the Urdd Eisteddfod. Having successfully done grade exams he began to

study at the RWCMD in the Junior Music department and had lessons with Roger Cutts (Principal Trombone Welsh National Opera).

Gareth has been principal trombone in the Four Counties Youth Orchestra as well as the National Youth Brass Band, Orchestra, Wind Orchestra and the Welsh National Youth Opera for a number of years and has toured countries such as Canada, Luxembourg and Italy with these ensembles.

In September 2007 Gareth furthered his education by accepting a place to study music performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. At the college Gareth receives trombone lessons from Donal Bannister (Principal Trombone, BBC National Orchestra of Wales) and Kevin Price (Ex Principal Trombone, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) as well as performing in masterclasses with visiting artists such as Wycliffe Gordon, Bones Apart, Don Lucas, Chris Houlding and Christian Lindberg.

Gareth joined the Cory Band under the baton of Dr Robert Childs in June 2009 and was part of the band that won the World Championships and the British Open Brass Band Championships last year.

Gareth is currently in his fourth year at the college and last year gained a place on placement with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and through this has had the chance to perform with them in concerts and in a recording for BBC Radio 3. In the future Gareth hopes to pursue a trombone career either as an orchestral musician or as a recording artist with Rock/Pop singers. Gareth is also hoping to study a Masters course in New York, USA at the Julliard or

Eastman School of Music.

Andrew Williams - Bass Trombone

Andrew began to play the Bass Trombone at St. Cenydd Comprehensive School under the watchful eye of ex Joe Loss Bass Trombonist, Phillip Dando. Andrew's natural ability and Phillip's expert teaching combined well and quick progress followed.

At the age of 13, Andrew joined the BTM Band. Two years later, he entered the National Youth Brass Band of Wales and made such remarkable progress that he was awarded the Norman's Prize for the player showing the most promise (in a band that contained many future professional players).

Andrew enjoyed many concert and contest successes with BTM and also had a short period helping out at the Sun Life Band. All this came to a halt in 1994, when he completely gave up playing in order to concentrate on developing his career in Insurance Risk Assessment.

Having done that, he returned to banding in 1998 by joining the 'Just Rentals' Cory Band and hasn't looked back! His skills & experience are varied and wide-ranging and as well as his Cory commitments, he is Bass Trombonist with the Byron Jones Big Band and is in demand at many provincial orchestras.

He still harbours two ambitions: to win a hat-tricks at all the majors and stay in a round with Jo Hirst. He also owes Chris a pair of shoes!!

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