Tongwynlais Temperance Band will perform in Tokyo, Saitama and Utsunomiya
TONGWYNLAIS Temperance Band is set to tour in the far east because brass music is becomming big in Japan.
The 137-year-old brass band will perform in Tokyo, Saitama and Utsunomiya as part of a week-long tour beginning on April 13.
Tour organiser Shoko Doherty moved to Wales from Japan 20 years ago and has played in brass bands ever since.
Mrs Doherty, 40, said Wales has seen a fall in the number of brass band players but that it is becoming increasingly popular in Japan.
“I hope the tour will help to keep the amazing Welsh brass band culture for future generations,” she said.
“It’s nice to be part of a band community.”
The baritone player is optimistic that the tour will allow one of Wales’ best brass bands to learn from the practices of Japanese players – and allow her bandmates to experience Japan’s better public transport.
The band will perform a series of joint-rehearsals, workshops, and educational visits, including one to Meiji Primary School, which is known for having one of the best primary school brass bands in Japan.
Owen Farr, the band’s musical director, said the band will be “flying the flag for Wales” and showcasing the finest Welsh brass band music, from the Men of Harlech to the Castell Coch March.
The tour forms part of the Wales and Japan 2025 programme, a year-long campaign between Wales and Japan that, according to the Welsh Government, “aims to stimulate new economic and cultural partnerships between the two nations”.
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“Music is the only international language in the world,” Mr Farr said, and being able to “work alongside Japan’s finest” will improve communication and integration between Welsh and Japanese brass bands, bringing people together through the power of music.
The professional musician recognises the power that cross-cultural partnerships can bring and is excited to be returning to Japan for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
A typical brass band consists of 25 players plus percussionists, so Mr Farr is looking forward to the challenge of conducting a mass 55-member brass band when they play alongside Japanese bands during the trip.
The tour has been made possible through funding from Taith. Funded by the Welsh Government, the international learning exchange programme is for every educational sector in Wales and aims to fund life-changing opportunities for people to learn, study and volunteer all over the world.
Susana Galván Hernández, executive director of Taith, said: “We are delighted to be funding the Tongwynlais Temperance Band and their international learning exchange visit to Japan. This project will enrich cultural and educational exchanges via the global brass band movement, and we are encouraged by their focus on inclusivity and educational innovation.
“This collaboration enables a unique blend of Welsh heritage and Japanese enthusiasm for brass music and will provide opportunities for mutual learning and shared understanding. We look forward to hearing from the band on their return.”
The tour follows a successful 2024 for the Tongwynlais Temperance Band, which saw them competing in the National Brass Band Championships for the ninth time at the Royal Albert Hall.
2025 appears to be no different.
An ensemble from the band has recently recorded a CD of the first brass band version of Vivaldi’s complete Four Seasons, and the band is preparing to compete in the Oxfordshire and District Brass Band Association Winter Contest in February.
Despite its success, the band remains deeply connected to its Welsh heritage, leading the Whitchurch Remembrance Day parade each year and helping to teach the next generation of brass players alongside local tutors through the Tongwynlais Music Academy.
