Welcome To The Ampthill Town Brass Band (Charity no 1206280) Website
Ampthill Town Band is a friendly, non-contesting brass band that has been supporting and entertaining the communities of Ampthill and surrounding villages for over 180 years. It is currently a UK charitable organisation (Charity No. 1206280) located in Ampthill, Bedfordshire.
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
Our new learner band is now in full flow every Tuesday evening between 5.45pm and 6.45pm at Ampthill Baptist Church.
For more details please contact us by email ampthilltownband@virginmedia.com.
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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like ..
The Band are busy again with this years Christmas festivities performing our annual concerts and playing Christmas carols at various events and locations throughout December.
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Remembrance Sunday 2025
Ampthill Town band will be leading the Remembrance Sunday Parades at Ampthill & Flitwick on Sunday 9th November 2025
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Autumn Concert
Ampthill Town Band will be performing their Autumn Concert on Sunday 26th October, 2pm, at St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill. Admission: £10 Adults, accompanied under 16’s free.
Upcoming Engagements
The band has a busy schedule of performances throughout the year supporting local organisations and events
2026
Sunday 26th April 2pm Kings Arms Gardens Garden Party
Thursday 30th April 7.30pm Jigsaw Club
Sunday 10th May 3pm Ampthill Civil Service St Andrews Church
Sunday 21st June 2pm Bands on the Green Bletchley
Saturday 11th July 7.30pm Big Tent Event Alameda Sports Field
Sunday 23rd August 3pm Leighton Buzzard Bandstand
Sunday 29th November 4pm Clophill Christmas Lights
Sunday 29th November 4pm Cranfield Christmas Lights
Saturday 5th December 2pm Ampthill Tree Festival
Sunday 6th December 3pm Aspley Guise Christmas Lights
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 | Vacancy |
| Principal Cornet | Louis Sherry |
| Solo Cornets | Jackie Pratt Philip Hard Gary Wood Vito Kidman |
| Repiano Cornet | Laura Boughton Victoria Blunt |
| 2nd Cornets | Paul Roberts Vacancy |
| 3rd Cornets | Vacancy |
| Flugel Horn | Steve Hill |
| Solo Horn | Henry Stoney |
| 1st Horn | Gary Summerfield |
| 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 | Isabelle Georgescu |
| Bass Trombone | Geoff Pratt |
| E flat Bass | Jim Mallams Sue Bell Rosie Cartwright |
| B flat Bass | Joe Morris Vacancy |
| Drums/ Percussion | Vacancy |
Band Officials:
Secretary: Jim Mallams (Trustee)
Treasurer: Gary Wood (Trustee)
Chairman:
Band Manager: Paul Miller (Trustee)
Band Librarian:
Committee Members: Louis Sherry (Trustee), Joe Morris
Safeguarding Officers: Victoria Blunt, Laura Boughton
Ampthill Town Band is committed to safeguarding and follows both Brass Band England’s and the Charity Commission’s Safeguarding Guidance.
The Band’s Constitution, Safeguarding Policy and other policy documents can be viewed here
Gallery
