Students from the Brecon Beacons College have run an early Brecon Jazz Festival ‘Taster Day’ outside The CWTCH, the College's Community Hub, for the second year in a row.

It was run as a prelude to this year's 40th festival, running in August. Students had been planning the event for several months, as part of the BTEC Business Studies ‘Managing an Event’ coursework. The students learned to work as a team to plan, promote and run an event, with a collaboration with the Jazz Festival fitting in well with the local area. 

Run in collaboration with the Brecon Jazz Club on Thursday 8th June, the day’s headliner was Neath College’s Jazz Ensemble, with Business Studies students helping to canvas the upcoming Summer Festival and take donations for it. The Jazz Club also saw outdoor performances in Bethel Square by duo Debs Hancock on vocals and Eddie Gripper on piano. 

Business student Tilly Powell said, “We’ve worked really hard as a class on today’s event. At last year’s Taster Day, I heard the music outside the CWTCH while I was working. I dropped in to talk to Mina and Rob, the tutors, and the course sounded great. Now I’m happy I’ve had some practical experience setting up this year’s musical event.” 

Christine Davies, Head of Business, Tourism & Management at the College, said of the day’s success: "Everyone involved in this year's Jazz Festival Taster Day has delivered a positive and inspiring musical event for the Brecon community. Our Business Studies students gained so much confidence and experience creating this event for their coursework and have raised hundreds of pounds in donations for the Jazz Festival on the day.

“Thank you also to the proactive team at Brecon Jazz Club, the headlining Neath College Jazz Ensemble, and to Mina, Michelle, Rob, Maya and Matthew of Brecon Beacons College for working hard throughout the year on this event." 

The day was described as 'a major success for all involved', with The Jazz Ensemble bigger than last year’s Taster Day, with more than twenty performers of all ages making the journey up to Brecon to be conducted by Ceri Rees. A highlight of this year’s event was the vocals from the ensemble’s lead singer Molly, catching the ears of people passing by. 

Brecon Jazz Festival’s 40th edition will take place in August, with the main weekend being 11-13th August, and performances also on Sunday 6th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August. To keep up to date with the plans you can visit www.breconjazz.org.