The Rogerstone Community Band

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In 1945, a meeting was held in Rogerstone to plan a celebration to mark the end of the war. The Welfare Grounds was the obvious choice for a venue but what was lacking was a band to provide the music. James Morgan, of Ifor Hael Road, stood up and complained that ‘it was a disgrace that a village like Rogerstone did not have a band of its own to perform on occasions such as this.’ The Clerk of the Council, Granville Llewelyn, replied “If you feel that strongly about it, Jim, why don’t you start one.”
So he did.

But there was problem. There were no players, no instruments and no funds. So an orchestral society was formed in order to raise money from concerts involving enthusiastic musicians such teachers, the local policeman and a retired Army bandmaster. It was quite an orchestra.
In 1947, and several concerts later, enough funds were raised to make the move to becoming a brass band. A set of instruments was acquired for £390 and with Jim’s old friend, George Wilde, as Chairman, and Jim himself as secretary, the Rogerstone Band was formed. Between them they were to see the band progress from those first steps to the Second Section Champions of Great Britain.

This early band was aided by an 80 strong supporters committee who organised events such as carnivals, fetes and dances to raise funds. However, a conductor was needed. George Godden, ex collier and a brass purist, took the first baton in 1948 and brought with him a number of experienced players to bolster the lads from Rogey, Bassaleg and Rhiwderin. A set of uniforms was procured following a door to door collection to cover the cost. These were actually ex-prison warders uniforms but with the drum major, the appropriately named Rex Major, carrying a mace made from a wooden pole and an industrial ball cock, the band made a splendid sight.

The band began contesting this year, first at Abertridwr in class ‘D’ and at this, their first contest they were awarded fourth place. The celebrations had just begun when it was announced that there had been a mistake and, actually, the band hadn’t been placed at all! Nevertheless further contests in Workmens Halls and Miners Institutes all added to the experience of the players.

In 1952 George Godden left Rogerstone and Tom Morgan, a Territorial Army Bandmaster, took over. Whilst the band wasn’t very successful in contesting, it became renowned for its concerts and marching ability. At this time the band qualified as an evening class under the county further education scheme, due to the age and numbers of the members, and this benefited the band in many ways, not least through the loan of instruments. Practising at Rogerstone Junior School also gave them a base.

After many concerts and marches, including leading Chipperfields Circus through Newport, Tom Morgan moved on from the band in 1958 to be replaced by a Sugar boiler, and ex Brighouse and Rastrick cornet player who originally hailed from Camborne in Cornwall.

Sam Roberts was the ultimate enthusiast and, as bandmaster, a hard taskmaster. If a player missed a rehearsal it wasn’t unknown for Sam to call at their house to see if they were in bed ill. At the Afon Lido contest the band was entered in their own class ‘D’ but also played in class ‘C’ and ‘B’ performing the same piece, Resurgam. Someone asked “what’s wrong with class ‘A’ then Sam?”

As the band became more successful under Sams baton it qualified for the London finals on a number of occasions playing in town halls at Hammersmith, Fulham and Kensington. Probably the highlight of this time for many was the tour to Osnabruck in Germany as part of British week in 1966. Riding on a bus provided by Harold Sergeant, who became a Vice President of the band, it was the first experience of overseas travel for many band members.

In 1969 Sam suffered a heart attack but despite this continued to conduct Rogerstone Band. He said that when his time came he hoped that it would be in front of the band that he loved. This came tragically true when, after leaving the stage at Sofia Gardens in Cardiff, Sam collapsed. Despite immediate help from some experienced nurses who played in the band he never regained consciousness.  

In the wake of Sams passing many concerts began with the march ‘The Cornish Cavalier’. This left a space in the middle of the band that was hard to fill. M T Furmage conducted for a short tenue of 3 months before George Wilde and Jim Morgan approached Brian Buckley from Tredegar. Brian had already been considered for the role before but his commitments to Tredegar Band precluded it however this time he accepted and the band entered a golden age.

The band that Sam Roberts left was in good shape but Brian elevated it into one of the top 3 in Wales. The band members that had been in their teens under Sam were now experienced players and ready to flourish and a junior band was established to provide new players for the future. Between 1970 – 1971 alone no fewer than 10 major trophies found their way to Rogerstone including the second section finals in London where the first prize was lifted from a field of 25 top class bands. On the bands return home to Rogey the trophy cup was filled with champagne and passed around until it was empty. The following year, at Swansea, with the band, now in class ‘A’, Rogerstone took first prize and displaced the Cory band for the first time in 5 years.

In April 1975 the band ventured onto the continent once again, this time to Belgium for the European Championships, an excursion that has become legend in the band of that era, for various reasons! Although the band came third, the composer of the test piece, Mr Jan Seagers, was so impressed by the their performance that he wrote a march especially for Rogerstone.

Before that, in 1974, a milestone in the bands history had been reached with the opening of the new Band room at the Welfare grounds. Remarkably, most of the building work had been completed by the members themselves and the grand opening was carried out by the bands president Cyril Rogers to a ‘drum roll and a fanfare of trumpets’ (as reported by the Argus). It had been funded by the band itself and by a loan from the Magor and St Mellons council who, as they were just about to be re-organised, converted the loan to a grant thus putting the band on a firm financial footing.

However, 1976 saw the baton being passed once more. This time, as Brian Buckley departed for Swansea with his work, one of the bands players Steve Mitchell picked it up whilst suggesting that a musical advisor may help the bands performance. Derek Broadbent, of the Brighouse and Rastrick band, was engaged and on one of his visits, whilst staying at the home of Brenda and Vernon Morgan, he arranged a piece of music on their kitchen table. This was The Floral Dance.

Over the late 1970s the band enjoyed several resident conductors including Don Hendy, Howard Roberts, John Childs and Dewi Jones but by 1980 a retired director of the band of the Welsh Guards, and a past conductor of the Cory Band, Major Arthur Kenney arrived. Major Kenney’s forte was conducting an experienced band, but Rogerstone was looking for a teacher as well as conductor, so when the Major returned to Cory (to great success) a young teacher Fred Nicholas stepped into the breach. Fred was still with the band for the 40 years reunion in 1988.

Several others took the baton after this, Mike Pegram and Nigel Seaman to name but two, and the band has continued its role of contesting and entertaining the people of Rogerstone with new and younger members gracing the bandstand, although some old faces still turn out and ‘have a blow’.

The band is now 75 years old. After struggling for players as other bands arrived, and becoming a community, rather than a competing band, around 10 years ago, it is still an important part of Rogerstone. In 1999 a new bandroom was built with support from the National Lottery and the Rogerstone Community Council, and is still a great musical venue today.

There are too many names to mention individually those who have been part of the band, sometimes whole families were involved such as the Matthews and the Morgans, and individuals such as John Webster. One youngster who arrived to play the drums c. 1980, joined the Royal Marines Band Service, and served until 2004. Olly Thomas has since fought, with a few old guard, to keep the band going, is now the present Chairman, would you believe! The current MD, Robert Burnett, is a big brass band advocate, and the band cannot thank him enough for his time and support.

One thing is for sure. Rogerstone is now a band that plays for celebrations, and should be celebrated.

I think Jim Morgan and George Wilde, and the boys and girls of the Rogerstone Band over the years have matched Granville Llewellyns challenge admirably.


Information taken from ‘Rogerstone Band, the First Forty Years’ by Vernon Morgan.