2026 Events
Community Big Lunch
Sunday 7th June 2026
“ACB dodge the rain”
Although the sun struggled to appear in The Alton Public Gardens on Sunday, happily the rain held off for The Community Big Lunch and spirits were not dampened by the weekend’s inclement weather. An appreciative audience gradually grew in numbers as the Alton Concert Band entertained the picnickers with their customary varied playlist.
Each half of the programme started with a rousing march to get the feet tapping, “The Great Escape” mirrored by “The Dam Busters”. There was something for all ages as youngsters sang along to “How To Train Your Dragon” and “The Lion King” whereas lovers of musicals enjoyed selections from “Opening Night On Broadway”, “ABBA On Broadway” and “West Side Story”.
A delighted Jeremy Hilton Morrish guided everyone through a programme which also included “Pirates Of The Caribbean”, “Coldplay In Symphony” and Ted Huggens’ “New Baroque Suite” while Ellen Bicknell conducted the band for “Lord of The Dance” and “Out Of Africa”; there were even couples dancing as Ellen wielded her baton for “Moon River”!
The three cheers raised at the conclusion of the concert attested to the audience’s enjoyment.
Thank You For the Music
Saturday 18th April 2026, 7pm Alton Maltings
The Alton Concert Band performed Thank You For The Music with The Lydian Singers.
An appreciative audience enjoyed the Alton Concert Band and The Lydian Singers’ Thank You For
The Music concert at the Alton
Maltings Centre on April 18. Conductor Jeremy Hilton Morrish, pianist Linda Tan and the
choir combined for Ave Maria, Over The Rainbow, The Lord Is My Shepherd and Goin’ Home.
Soloist Renée Beard sang Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. It’s A Grand
Night For Singing, Feel Good, AS Long As I Have Music and Why We Sing fitted the celebratory theme.
The band performed the Liberty Bell march, Hoe Down, Bohemian Rhapsody, El Camino
Real, Mary Poppins highlights, Coldplay hits, Fingal’s Cave and Handel’s Hornpipe.
Choir and band combined for Danny Boy and Mancini’s Moon River, and as a finale the audience
sang along to ABBA favourites.
The band and choir singing along to ABBA favourites. The lady in the right first row of the choir is Karin Withey Nelson, one of the band’s horn players. She sang the introduction to ABBA’s Thank You For The Music as her farewell number . This concert was her last one with the band as she is moving to the Isle Of Wight with her family.
2025 Events
Alton Concert Band
Saturday 6th December 7.00 pm at the Maltings – ‘The Wonder of Christmas ‘- joint event with the Alton Choral Society and Ancora Choir.
Autumn Concert: “A Musical Voyage of Discovery”
Alton Concert Band were on top form once again this Saturday as they entertained an appreciative audience with a “Musical Voyage of Discovery”.
We were immediately off to Mexico with “The Magnificent Seven”, up to New York with “Guys and Dolls” and then whisked back to Norfolk and Somerset for Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Folk Song Suite”. After the romantic and emotionally resonant “Out of Africa” we were transported to Hungary for a Brahms “Hungarian Dance” reaching the interval by travelling northwards to St Petersburg for a Shostakovich waltz.
Having travelled to a galaxy far, far, away with highlights from “Rogue One” and been taught “How To Train Your Dragon”, we were back home for Percy Grainger’s capricious interpretation of “An English Country Garden”. The concert was then rounded off with a short visit to Vietnam with “Miss Saigon” before a final destination of the barricades of 1830s Paris with a selection from “Les Misérables”.
Compère Nick Wright was our expert tour guide whilst Musical Director, Jeremy Hilton Morrish, said he “was delighted by the standard reached by our local musicians.”
It’s worth saving the date of Saturday 6th December as the ACB return to the Alton Maltings for “The Wonder of Christmas”.
.