Cardiff band Wonderbrass make music for 2012 Olympics

Wonderbrass are the only applicants from Wales to be given one of the grants to produce music for the Cultural Olympiad

A Cardiff jazz band has been awarded a £10,000 grant to create music to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics.

Wonderbrass is one of 20 groups picked for the project to reflect the diversity of new music across the UK.

They will work with London composer Jason Yarde on a piece of music exploring "new world rhythms".

All the pieces will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and performed during a UK tour as part of celebrations in the run up to the Games.

'Inspirational'

The project is called New Music 20x12 which covers a wide range of genres from contemporary classical, folk and opera in Scotland and Northern Ireland to bell ringing, beat boxing, jazz and brass band music in England and Wales.

The music is part of the Cultural Olympiad, a four year arts project aimed at inspiring creativity in the run up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Judging panel chair Roger Wright, controller of BBC Radio 3 and director of the BBC Proms, said: "These pieces will form a vibrant and exciting celebration of British composition in 2012 and help to reflect the Olympic and Paralympic values through their creative excellence and inspirational ideas."

Wonderbrass are the only applicants from Wales to be given one of the grants. They submitted their bid jointly with composer producer and saxophonist Jason Yarde with whom they've worked previously.

They are due to mark their 20th anniversary in 2012, having begun life as a 10-week community music workshop in Pontypridd.

Musical director Rob Smith said the band was "really pleased" to win the accolade which showed Wonderbrass was "up there with the professionals".