Amersham Band Celebrates 120th Birthday

A recent contest win at Folkestone and a 120th Birthday seem like good excuse for a party.  Amersham Band is celebrating both this week, on the anniversary of the band’s formation in 1890.

Amersham Band member Caroline Perkins was rummaging through the band archives at the local museum recently and discovered papers relating to the formation of the Band and a picture of the founder members. This find sent her scurrying down to the library where she located more documents and newspaper articles. The Band had been inaugurated at a meeting of the Amersham Division of the 'Sons of Temperance' on 27th October 1890. Keen local photographer, cornet player and founder George Ward was elected Bandmaster, Secretary and Treasurer with twelve members forming the initial line-up. Within two years, however, the connection with temperance was severed, doubtless because continuous playing of the larger brass instruments can generate a mighty thirst, and the Band became known as the Amersham Town Band. It flourished during the following twenty or so years, winning several prizes, most notably at Reading, as well as playing at many events and functions in Amersham and surrounding districts.

After a break during the First World War, the band was re-formed, under the musical direction of Herbert Fountain, who had been a pre-war player with the Band. The Band continued as before, to play at many local events and functions. A day to remember from that era was the celebration of King George V’s Silver Jubilee, for which each Band member was issued with a splendid braided uniform (tailor made at a cost of twenty-five shillings) together with a peaked cap. There was a parade on that day and a torchlight procession in the evening, led by the Band. It owned at that time its own practice hut, which the landlord of The Swan Public House allowed them to erect in the orchard behind his pub for a peppercorn rent.

The band again suffered from a break in continuity during the Second World War, which sadly resulted in the instruments and hut being sold to pay off debts. It was not until 1976 during an Amersham Town Council meeting that the Mayor, Jean Archer, proposed that the Band should again be re-formed. There were no instruments and no money, but dogged determination, local financial help and plenty of enthusiasm saw the Band re-born, giving their first concert as guests of Ellesborough Silver Band in October 1977.

Today Amersham is a thriving fourth section band with an associated training band. In recent years the band has been making steady progress, rising up the ranks of the fourth section and reaching the National Finals in Harrogate this year. As extra icing on the 120th birthday cake the Band has just come back from the SCABA Folkestone Contest clutching four trophies; winner of the 3rd Section, best instrumentalist for principal cornet Marion Mayhew, best back row and best percussion section. Musical Director Paul Fisher said “It’s been a fantastic year of progress for the band. I set out for a high standard and the band have risen to it, delivering a cracking performance in Folkestone”

Chairman Fred Harrison added “It is great to see the rewards of all the efforts from everyone in the band, and what a great way to celebrate our big birthday. I am sure those founder members would have been thrilled to see what has grown from their initiative 120 years ago.”

There are more pictures from past and present on our website..

 

 

The initial band line up in 1890. Founder George Ward is on the left

Today’s band on stage at the National Finals in Harrogate