Formed some 9 years ago as one of the William Mathias Schools’ Service’s ensembles, the G&A gives young musicians the opportunity to experience many styles of music through the medium of a big band. Players’ ages range from 12 – 20 years old.

Among its achievements was a performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Southbank in a concert featuring the Gulidhall College Big Band. The band was featured prominently on S4C’s Christmas Day programme (2000) and has to its name many performances at festivals such as Llandudno and Abersoch. We are looking forward to a return to the Abersoch festival in 2007. In October 2004 we appeared on stage at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Thousand Voices Concert. The Band was featured as part of the large-scale production to held at the National Eisteddfod Pavilion 2005 in collaboration with Cwmni Theatr Genedlaethol and Glanaethwy. In June 2006 we added a new venue to our circuit following a Welsh Jazz Society gig at Theatr Hafren. In July of that year it played a part in the 10th anniversary celebration of the William Mathias Schools’ Service.

It recognizes the importance of bringing in jazz celebrities to wrokshop with the young players; with that in mind, a succession of internationally recognised musicians have come to workshop and perform with the young players; musicians such as Mark Nightingale, Junlian Arguelles and Huw Warren. The Band commissioned a four movement work from Huw and was premiered in 2004. The Easter 2005 activity saw trumpeter Chris Batchelor taking workshops and performing with the young players at Galeri in Caernarfon. This is also the venue for the Salsa Project complete with dancers featuring guest artist, percussionist Bosco de Oliveira (April 06).

The band wishes to explore futher possibilities of recording and broadcast following its part in Radio Cymru’s Brassjazz (2002) series and more recently, S4C’s Noson Lawen (November 05). In December, the band was invited to perform at the Daily Post’s Charity Christmas Concert (2005 and 2006) which was recorded by Cwmni Opus and broadcast at least three times in December. This gave the Band the opportunity of playing well-known carols in new swinging arrangements. The Band shared the stage on those occasions with artistes including Bryn Terfel, Rebecca Evans, The Serendipity Choir, Llŷr Williams, Bryn Fôn and Y Moniars

Our repertoire is varied and reflects the fact that this is a big band of its own generation. We respect the classic big band tradition as exemplified by the Ellington and Basie bands but perform also medleys of rock and pop songs, traditional Welsh folk songs, tunes from film and television.

A central function of the band is to give young jazzers the chance to improvise during performances which they are all prepared to do without forewarning. This is a great liberating experience which jazz brings to its participants.

Ffurfiwyd y Band tua naw mlynedd yn ôl fel un o ensemblau Gwasanaeth Ysgolion William Mathias , mae’r G & M yn rhoi cyfle a phrofiad i gerddorion ifanc berfformio gwahanol arddulliau jazz drwy gyfrwng y "big-band". Mae oedran y band yn amrywio o 12 hyd at 20+ oed.

Ymysg eu gorchestion cafwyd perfformiad yn Neuadd y Frenhines Elisabeth ar y South Bank, mewn cyngerdd gyda Band Coleg y Guildhall. 'Roedd y Band hefyd yn flaenllaw yn rhaglen Nadolig S4C yn 2000 gydag Ysgol Glanaethwy. Mae hanes hir i'r Band mewn gwyliau Cerdd yn Llandudno ac Abersoch. Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at ymweliad eto â gŵyl Abersoch yn 2007. Fis Hydref 2004 bu’r Band yn perfformio ar lwyfan Neuadd y Royal Albert yn Llundain yn rhan o gyngerdd y Mil o Leisiau. Bydd y Band yn rhan o gynhyrchiad enfawr ym Mhafiliwn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ym mis Awst 2005 gan gydweithio gyda Chwmni Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru a Glanaethwy. Ym mis Mehefin 2006 gwelwyd y band ar lwyfan newydd – y tro hwn yn Theatr Hafren (Y Drenewydd) mewn gig a drefnwyd gan Gymdeithas Jazz Cymru. Yn mis Gorffennaf y flwyddyn hon bu’n rhan o ddathliadau deng mlwyddiant GYWM.

Mae'r Band yn cydnabod y manteision o gael enwogion y byd jas i gynnal gweithdai a chadw cyngherddau. Daeth dilyniant o chwaraewyr byd enowg i roi gweithdai i’r chwaraewyr ifanc ac i berfformio gyda nhw, cerddorion megis Mark Nightingale, Julian Arguelles a Huw Warren. Comisiynodd y Band ddarn newydd gan Huw gan roi’r premiere yn 2004. Ym mis Ebrill 2005 daeth y trwmpedwr rhyngwladol Chris Batchelor atyn nhw i roi cyngerdd yn Galeri Caernarfon – lleoliad cyngerdd nodedig arall yn Ebrill 2006 gyda Bosco de Oliveira a noson o Salsa gyda dawnswyr!

Mae'r Band yn awyddus i ymchwilio i gyfleon recordio a darlledu yn dilyn eu cyfraniad i raglen "Brassjas" ar Radio Cymru a’r “Noson Lawen” (Tachwedd 2005). Yn dilyn gwahoddiad oddi wrth y Daily Post, bu’r Band yn cyfeilio i’r carolau yn y Cyngerdd Nadolig Elusennol (2005 a 2006) a recordiwyd gan Gwmni Opws ac a ddarlledwyd o leiaf deirgwaith ym mis Rhagfyr. Rhoddwyd cyfle i’r band i ddarparu trefniannau newydd o garolau cyfarwydd a hynny mewn arddull swing. Ar yr un llwyfan gwelwyd artistiaid megis Bryn Terfel, Rebecca Evans, Côr Serendipity, Llŷr Williams, Bryn Fôn a’r Moniars.

Mae repertoire y Band yn adlewyrchu iddo fod yn big-band o’i genhedlaeth ei hun. Telir teyrnged i draddodiadau'r Big-band clasurol fel Ellington a Basie ond hefyd perfformir cerddoriaeth bop, roc, alawon traddodiadol Cymreig, jazz â dylanwad De Affrica, yn ogystal â cherddoriaeth ffilm, teledu a sioeau cerdd.

Un o brif amcanion y Band yw rhoi cyfle i'r offerynnwyr ifanc i fynegi eu hunain drwy jas a hynny drwy fyrfyfyr – mae’r aelodau i gyd yn barod i roi cynnig arni yn ystod perfformiadau. Rhydd hyn hyder mawr iddynt.