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
Spring Concert
On Sunday 21st May the band performed a selection from our summer music programme in a Spring Concert at Parkside Hall, Ampthill,
Coronation Weekend
A busy Coronation Weekend for the band playing at the Coronation Party In The Park in Flitton on Sunday afternoon 6/5/23, at the Coronation Civic service at St Andrew’s Church in the evening, and then in the Kings Arms Gardens on the Monday afternoon.
Civic Service
The band recently performed for the Mayor’s Civic Service Ceremony at St Andrew’s Church Ampthill where we were immensely proud to see our principal cornet player Louis Sherry receive an award for his service to the community over many years.
Upcoming Engagements
The band has a busy schedule of performances throughout the year supporting local organisations and events
June 2022
2nd @ 8 pm – Ampthill Park – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Beacon Lighting
4th @ 1 pm – Flitton Village Hall – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Fete
5th @ 7 pm – St Andrews Church, Ampthill – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Service
26th @2 pm – Bletchley – Bands On The Green
July 2022
3rd @ 4 pm – Ampthill Park – Gala Day
15th @ 12 pm – Stewartby – Covanta Open Day
15th @ 12 pm – Stewartby – Covanta Open Day
17th @3 pm – Leighton Buzzard BandStand
August 2022
4th @ 7.30 pm – Houghton Conquest – JigSaw Club
7th @ 2 pm – Ampthill Park
September 2022
11th @ 2 pm – Ampthill Town Square
October 2022
8th @ 2 pm – Ampthill Library
28th @ 2pm – Kings Arms Gardens, Ampthill
November 2022
13th @ 10 am – St Andrew’s Church & Alameda, Ampthill – Remembrance Service
13th @ 3 pm – Flitwick Town Centre – Remembrance Service
27th @ 4.30 pm – Clophill Village Green – Christmas Lights Switch On
27th @ 5 pm – Flitwick Town centre – Christmas Lights Switch On
December 2022
3rd @ 2pm – St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill – Christmas Tree Festival
3rd @ 4.30pm – Blunham – Christmas Lights Switch On
7th @ 12.15pm – Cranfield University – Christmas Party (Private Function)
8th @ 3.15pm – Harlington Lower School – Christmas Carols
9th @ 7pm – Flitton Church – Christmas Carol Concert
11th @ 2pm – Parkside Hall, Ampthill – Christmas Concert (with Parkside Singers)
17th @ 10am-5pm – Waitrose Supermarket, Ampthill – Christmas Carols
18th @ 5.30pm – St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill – Nine Lessons and Carols Service
19th @ 6.15pm- Town Square, Ampthill – Carols Around The Christmas Tree
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
December 2023
2nd @ 16.30pm – The Horseshoes Pub, Blunham – Blunham Christmas Lights
8th @ 7pm – Flitton Church – Christmas Concert
10th @ 2pm – Parkside Hall, Ampthill – Christmas Concert
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 | Thomas Lee |
| 2nd Cornets | Paul Roberts Laura Boughton |
| 3rd Cornets | Victoria Paulding Vito Kidman |
| 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 | Clare Stoney |
| 2nd Euphonium | Luigi Kidman |
| Solo Trombone | Leighton Jones |
| 2nd Trombone | Christopher Wilson |
| Bass Trombone | Geoff Pratt |
| 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
Band Manager: Geoff Pratt
Librarian: Rosemary Fisher
Safeguarding Officer: Rachel Bartholomew
Gallery
