Welcome To The Ampthill Town Brass Band Website
Ampthill Town Band are a friendly, non-contesting brass band that has been supporting and entertaining the communities of Ampthill and surrounding villages for over 180 years.
Our players are of all ages and abilities and band rehearsals usually take place on Tuesday evenings (7.30pm – 9.30pm) at Ampthill Baptist Church.
New and visiting players are always welcome.
The band can be booked for a variety of public and private events and performs a busy programme of engagements throughout the year, such as school and village fetes, church services, carols, charity fund raising events and entertainment concerts.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the band, would like to attend a rehearsal, or would like to book the band for an engagement please contact our band secretary.
Latest News
Silsoe Lower School Autumn Fair
The band will be performing at Silsoe Lower School Autumn Fair on Saturday, 23rd September form midday – 2 pm.
Kings Arms Garden
We will be returning to the Kings Arms Garden in Ampthill on Sunday, 24th September, performing between 2pm – 4pm.
Christmas Is Coming
The band kicks of its busy Christmas 2023 season of performances with the Christmas Event at Frosts Willington on 3rd November 5pm.
Upcoming Engagements
The band has a busy schedule of performances throughout the year supporting local organisations and events
February 2023
5th @ 2pm – St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill – Civic Service
April 2023
23rd @ 3pm – St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill – Alan Richardson Tribute
May 2023
7th @ 2pm – Flitton Village Hall, Flitton – Coronation Celebrations
7th @ 6pm – St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill – Coronation Service
8th @ 2pm – Kings Arms Gardens, Ampthill – Coronation Celebrations
21st @ 2pm – Parkside Hall, Ampthill – Spring Concert
June 2023
25th @ 12:15pm – Harpur Square Bedford – Armed Forces Day
July 2023
2nd @ 2pm – Ampthill Great Park – Concert
13th @ 7pm – Flitwick Village Hall – Jigsaw Club
15th @ 6.30pm – Ampthill Great Park – Proms In The Park
30th @ 2.30pm – Ampthill Great Park – Concert
August 2023
20th @ 2.30pm – West Bletchley – Bands On The Green
28th @ 2.30pm – Ampthill Great Park – Concert
September 2023
23rd @ 2.00pm – Silsoe Lower School, Silsoe – School Fete
24th @ 2pm – Kings Arms Gardens, Ampthill
November 2023
3rd @ 5.00pm – Frosts, Willington – Christmas Event
12th @ 10.00am – Ampthill – Remembrance Parade
12th @ 2.00pm – Flitwick – Remembrance Parade
18th @ 11.00am – Frosts, Woburn Sands – Christmas Carols
26th @ 16.30pm – Flitwick – Christmas Lights
December 2023
2nd @ 2.00pm – St Andrews Church, Ampthill – Christmas Tree Festival
2nd @ 16.30pm – The Horseshoes Pub, Blunham – Blunham Christmas Lights
3rd @ 16.00pm – The Green, Clophill – Clophill Christmas Lights
8th @ 12pm – Cranfield University, Cranfield – Private Function
8th @ 7pm – St John The Baptist Church, Flitton – Christmas Concert
10th @ 2pm – Parkside Hall, Ampthill – Christmas Concert
16th @ All Day – Waitrose, Ampthill – Christmas Carols
19th @ 6pm – Market Square, Ampthill – Carols Around The Christmas Tree
24th @ 6pm – St Andrews Church, Ampthll – 9 Lessons And Carols
Our History
The band has its origins in a chamber ensemble formed in the 1840’s, allegedly to celebrate a royal visit to the town. By the end of the 19th century this had metamorphosed into a brass and woodwind band. By the 1930’s, cornets displaced clarinets and a brass band emerged.
The band today serves the local community by providing music services for local occasions, such as the Remembrance Parade, Christmas Carols around the Christmas tree and in St Andrews on Christmas Eve, as well as school and village fetes. Having played in the inaugural Ampthill Proms in the Park in 2009 we have played in each one since.
The first performance of the band outside the British Isles was in 2016 at Nissan-lez-Enserune, situated in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where the Band participated in an exchange trip to Ampthill’s official twin town.
Our Players
The band’s musical director is Mark Lowe. Mark is an experienced euphonium player, having graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire with a Master in Performance and he has conducted a range of ensembles, especially brass bands. He has been a peripatetic brass teacher for over 10 years and recently relocated to Bedfordshire.
| Musical Director/ Conductor | Mark Lowe |
| Soprano Cornet | Rosemary Fisher |
| Principal Cornet | Louis Sherry |
| Solo Cornets | David Fisher Jackie Pratt Philip Hardy Gary Wood |
| Repiano Cornet | Laura Boughton Victoria Paulding |
| 2nd Cornets | Paul Roberts Vacancy |
| 3rd Cornets | Vito Kidman Vacancy |
| Flugel Horn | Steve Hill |
| Solo Horn | Rachel Bartholomew |
| 1st Horn | Henry Stoney |
| 2nd Horn | Ruth Robinson |
| 1st Baritone | Paul Miller |
| 2nd Baritone | Peter Thompson |
| 1st Euphonium | Luigi Kidman |
| 2nd Euphonium | Clare Stoney |
| Solo Trombone | Leighton Jones |
| 2nd Trombone | Christopher Wilson |
| Bass Trombone | Geoff Pratt Kiera Bird |
| E flat Bass | Joe Morris Jim Mallams Sue Bell Rosie Cartwright |
| B flat Bass | Tony Huckle Vacancy |
| Drums/ Percussion | Vacancy |
Band Officials:
Secretary: Paul Miller
Treasurer: Leighton Jones
Chairman: Jim Mallams
Librarian: Rosemary Fisher
Safeguarding Officer: Victoria Paulding
Gallery
