By 1808Delaware
Delaware will be the only Ohio stop on the Cory Band’s North American tour when the Welsh ensemble performs at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Gray Chapel on Monday, October 26. The concert begins at 7:30 PM, with doors opening at 7:00 PM. Hosted by the Dublin Silver Band, the evening brings two brass groups to University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., for separate performances and then a shared finale.
For Delaware listeners, it is an opportunity to hear a band whose October itinerary also includes Canada, Virginia, and New York City, without leaving town. See the Cory Band’s tour announcement.
Two Bands Share The Evening
The Dublin Silver Band will open the program. The ensemble is preparing to take to Norway’s SIDDIS Brass festival the following week. Cory will perform the second half, and the bands will join forces to close the concert.
According to the local event announcement, this will be Cory’s first appearance in Central Ohio.
Led by musical director Philip Harper, Cory draws from a repertoire that includes traditional brass-band works, film music, symphonic arrangements, and contemporary compositions. Its Delaware concert page describes that range, although individual selections for the evening are not listed.
From A Welsh Community To An International Stage
Cory traces its beginnings to 1884 and the Ton Temperance Band in South Wales. The ensemble then gained the “Cory” name after an appearance at the opening of the Gelli Colliery Library in 1895. Sir Clifford Cory, who performed the opening ceremony, offered financial support after hearing the musicians. The group subsequently became the Cory Workmen’s Band. That history connects the visiting ensemble to a tradition of music rooted in local workplaces and community institutions. Its international touring career came later. Read the band’s history.
This year’s trip carries a particular anniversary connection. Cory visited North America during the United States’ Bicentennial in 1976. Fifty years later, it returns during the nation’s 250th anniversary year. The five-concert tour begins October 24 in Markham, Ontario. Delaware follows two days later, before the musicians continue to James Madison University, Herndon, Virginia, and New York City.
Planning A Night At Gray Chapel
Reserved seats are listed at $35 to $65, with discounts for groups of ten or more. An optional $30 VIP add-on includes a preconcert meeting with Harper and a postconcert reception with the band. The event listing identifies an accessible entrance, drop-off access, and main-floor accessible seating. Tickets and current seating options are available through the Dublin Silver Band’s concert page. Questions can be directed to organizer Bob Munson at 740-243-5549.
For one evening, a tour stretching from Ontario to Manhattan will pause on South Sandusky Street, bringing a Welsh musical tradition into one of Delaware’s best-known performance spaces.
