The combination of brass band and male choir is a familiar one. Here we were presented with probably Wales’ most famous example of each.

The Cory Band dominated proceedings. Not surprising as they are currently European champions and are world ranked number one. Most of their August will be spent playing 10 concerts across Australia and two of their performances were of music commissioned for that tour. Fanfare for Cory (Gareth Wood) and, particularly, Dreamtime (Dan Price) had the feeling of music which was new to the band and lacked the swagger and confidence of the rest of their programme.

There were crowd pleasers such as Live and let die ( soprano player Steve Stewart was typically ebullient), Ray Farr’s ever popular arrangement of Superman, and a medley of Sinatra numbers.

Mathew White gave an enjoyable performance of the last movement of Philip Spark’s third euphonium concerto and it all ended with Mahler’s vision of the Day of Judgement - the finale to the second symphony. Though nothing will ever touch the original, conductor Philip Harper’s arrangement is a stirring attempt.

Similarly Morriston Orpheus Choir‘s Nella Fantasia. This arrangement of the moving ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ (from Ennio Morricone’s score to The Mission) for male voices with Italian words detracted hugely from the original.

This is a big choir (conducted by Joy Amman Davies) who clearly relished the big amen – even their Jesus Christ Superstar arrangement effectively had one. Underlining them by adding the hall’s organ each time was forcing the issue.