GARETH PRITCHARD, FTCL, LTCL(TD)
Conductor, Composer, Arranger, Adjudicator11 Court Street
Tonypandy
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Telephone home: 01443431361
Telephone mobile: 07775942050
Email: gareth@jagrins.com
Website: http://
Gareth Pritchard was born in the mining village of Ynyshir in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. Began playing Cornet in the local Colliery Band in 1964 and by 1966 was the “under 12” Solo Champion of Wales. He studied Cornet with David Thomas (ex Principal Cornet of the Stanshawe/Sun Life Band) and Ieuan Morgan MBE, OBE (ex Conductor of Parc & Dare and Upper Rhondda School Bands).
Entered Trinity College of Music, London in 1974 to study Trumpet and Cornet with Norman Burgess (Principal Trumpet of the BBC Concert Orchestra), Composition with Vera Ayton and Conducting with Bernard Keefe attaining LTCL (Teacher’s Diploma) by his 3rd year and being admitted a Fellow of the College FTCL at the end of his 4th year.
He played Principal Cornet for Parc & Dare, Fairey Engineering, Brodsworth Colliery and GUS/Rigid Containers Bands winning Granada Band of the Year in 1979 and the British Open in both 1979 and 1988. He was influenced in this period by many eminent Conductors such as Dennis Carr, Ray Farr, Walter Hargreaves, Elgar Howarth, Harry Mortimer, Roy Newsome, Major Peter Parkes and Bram Tovey. He became the Cornet Solo Champion of Great Britain in both 1977 and 1979 and performed regularly as a soloist all over the world and on many radio broadcasts and recordings.
Moved to Norway in 1990 where he worked as a “full time” Freelance Musician. He conducted a band to a 1st prize at the National Finals there no less than an unprecedented 4 times in 3 different divisions (including the Championship Section with Sandefjord Brass Symposium in 1998) in only 7 attempts. He also conducted the winning performance at SIDDIS Brass (the “Norwegian Brass in Concert”) with Sandefjord using 3 of his pieces in their programme. He was also regularly invited to conduct other Norwegian Championship Section Brass and Wind Bands and Professional Military Bands.
He was Musical Advisor and Conductor of the Telemark Wind Orchestra and Telemark Summer School from 1996 - 2004 and still regularly visits Norway as a Guest Conductor.
Gareth has been the Guest Conductor with many of the UK’s top Brass Bands including YBS and Grimethorpe. He has regularly conducted bands at the Areas, National Finals, British Open and the All England Masters and has continued his contesting successes since returning to the UK. Conducted Besses o’ th’ Barn to a very creditable 7th place at The All England Masters in 1999, gained a 3rd & 4th prize at the Grand Shield contest in 2000 with Besses o’ th’ Barn & BTM respectively and also 1st prize at the Senior Cup with EYMS in 2002 & also with the Woodfalls Band in 2010. He almost gained an unprecedented feat of 3 consecutive promotions to the British Open with Tongwynlais Temperance Band with 2nd Prize at the Senior Trophy in 2005, 3rd Prize at the Senior Cup in 2006 and 4th prize in the Grand Shield 2007 (missing promotion to the British Open by 2 places).
He conducted Bodmin Town to 1st prize at the South of England Entertainment Contest, Yeovil in 2000 and in 2008 won the West of England Bandsman’s Festival, Bugle with the St. Austell Band. He also conducted Tongwynlais to a 3rd prize in 2007 and a 2nd Prize in 2008 at the Butlins Contest when the adjudicators called the Entertainment part of the Contest weekend ‘an innovative programme’. This trend continued in 2011 when conducting the Woodfalls Band to 1st Prize at Yeovil playing Gareth’s innovative Scandinavian based programme.
He was the full time Musical Director of EYMS from 2001 to 2005 during which time they qualified for the National Brass Band Championships at the Royal Albert Hall 4 consecutive times. He has also been the Professional Conductor for Besses o’ th’ Barn, Bodmin Town, BTM and Tongwynlais Bands. In 2007 he was appointed the Musical Director of the Lewis Merthyr Band, Porth and in 2008 accepted an invitation to become the Principal Conductor and Musical Advisor to the St. Austell Band in Cornwall.
From 2002 to 2004 he was the Conducting Tutor at the University of Salford as well as having the full musical responsibility for, and the conducting of the University’s Adelphi Brass Band, the University Wind Band and the University Symphony Orchestra.
His arrangements and compositions are extensively played in Europe and the UK and have also been recorded by Brass and Military Bands.
Gareth is in regular demand as an adjudicator at home and abroad and is a member of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators and is on the adjudicating list of the British Federation of Brass Bands.
In addition to all this, he runs his own Music Publishing Business (JAGRINS) with his son, Gavin - publishing music and books mainly for the Brass Band movement and is the Producer for KMJ Recordings, specialists in Brass Band recordings and fast becoming a big player in that field in the UK.