\u201cACB dodge the rain\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s inclement weather. An appreciative audience gradually grew in numbers as the Alton Concert Band entertained the picnickers with their customary varied playlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each half of the programme started with a rousing march to get the feet tapping, \u201cThe Great Escape<\/em>\u201d mirrored by \u201cThe Dam Busters<\/em>\u201d. There was something for all ages as youngsters sang along to \u201cHow To Train Your Dragon<\/em>\u201d and \u201cThe Lion King<\/em>\u201d whereas lovers of musicals enjoyed selections from \u201cOpening Night On Broadway<\/em>\u201d, \u201cABBA On Broadwa<\/em>y\u201d and \u201cWest Side Story<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A delighted Jeremy Hilton Morrish guided everyone through a programme which also included \u201cPirates Of The Caribbean<\/em>\u201d, \u201cColdplay In Symphony<\/em>\u201d and Ted Huggens\u2019 \u201cNew Baroque Suite<\/em>\u201d while Ellen Bicknell conducted the band for \u201cLord of The Dance<\/em>\u201d and \u201cOut Of Africa<\/em>\u201d; there were even couples dancing as Ellen wielded her baton for \u201cMoon River<\/em>\u201d!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The three cheers raised at the conclusion of the concert attested to the audience\u2019s enjoyment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank You For the Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 18th April 2026, 7pm Alton Maltings<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Alton Concert Band performed Thank You For The Music with The Lydian Singers. 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2025 Events<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alton Concert Band<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 6th December 7.00 pm at the Maltings – ‘The Wonder of Christmas ‘- joint event with the Alton Choral Society and Ancora Choir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Autumn Concert: \u201cA Musical Voyage of Discovery\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alton Concert Band were on top form once again this Saturday as they entertained an appreciative audience with a \u201cMusical Voyage of Discovery<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were immediately off to Mexico with \u201cThe Magnificent Seven<\/em>\u201d, up to New York with \u201cGuys and Dolls<\/em>\u201d and then whisked back to Norfolk and Somerset for Ralph Vaughan Williams\u2019 \u201cFolk Song Suite<\/em>\u201d. After the romantic and emotionally resonant \u201cOut of Africa<\/em>\u201d we were transported to Hungary for a Brahms \u201cHungarian Dance<\/em>\u201d reaching the interval by travelling northwards to St Petersburg for a Shostakovich waltz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having travelled to a galaxy far, far, away with highlights from \u201cRogue One<\/em>\u201d and been taught \u201cHow To Train Your Dragon<\/em>\u201d, we were back home for Percy Grainger\u2019s capricious interpretation of \u201cAn English Country Garden<\/em>\u201d. The concert was then rounded off with a short visit to Vietnam with \u201cMiss Saigon<\/em>\u201d before a final destination of the barricades of 1830s Paris with a selection from \u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comp\u00e8re Nick Wright was our expert tour guide whilst Musical Director, Jeremy Hilton Morrish, said he \u201cwas delighted by the standard reached by our local musicians.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth saving the date of Saturday 6th<\/sup> December as the ACB return to the Alton Maltings for \u201cThe Wonder of Christmas<\/em>\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n .<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 2026 Events Community Big Lunch Sunday 7th June 2026 \u201cACB dodge the rain\u201d 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\u2019s inclement weather. An appreciative audience gradually grew in numbers as the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":158,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-504","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=504"}],"version-history":[{"count":90,"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1675,"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/504\/revisions\/1675"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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 Ren\u00e9e 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/altonconcertband.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260418_214541-1024x568.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n