In 1928 a group of Salvation Army musicians from Aylsham got together, under the leadership of Band Master Clifford King, to form the Aylsham Fellowship Band. Rehearsals began in the Primitive Methodist Sunday School room and sometimes in the Collegiate House in Hungate Street. Later the Red Lion and Black Boys pubs were used for rehearsals.
In 1939 the band was renamed the Aylsham Silver Band and was kept going by the tireless efforts of those not called up for service. The post-war era saw the band thrive and its contesting success reached as far as London's Westminster Hall.
In recent years the band has concentrated on concert performances, performing for Her Majesty the Queen at RAF Coltishall in 1983, and in 1986 in the presence of the Duke of Kent for the naming of Cromer Lifeboat. The Band's 60th anniversary celebrations took the form of a gala concert in St. Michael's Church, Aylsham, compered by Anglia Television's Helen McDermott.
The band has now celebrated its 75th anniversary and continues to entertain audiences across the region, being a regular and much-loved feature at many local events.
Followers of the band will know that we can be heard at many local venues throughout the year, from the Aylsham Methodist Church Songs of Praise in the spring and the Gunthorpe Hall Annual Fete in midsummer to the Aylsham Show on August Bank Holiday and the Christmas Craft Fair at Blickling Hall. We like to end the year with a swing at our annual Christmas Concert in Aylsham Town Hall on the last Sunday before Christmas, now extended to a matinee and evening performance due to popular demand.
Brass bands are a traditional feature of the British way of life. Musicians give their time and expertise for free, but instruments, sheet music, uniforms and hire of rehearsal facilities all cost money. Bands up and down the country rely on local support to be able to keep the brass band sound audible at village fêtes and Remembrance Day parades.
You can help us by joining the growing body of Friends of Aylsham Band. All the Friends of the band receive regular newsletters with details of our activities and special events. We also invite the Friends to an annual drinks party after one of our concerts.
If you would like to become a Friend of Aylsham Band all we ask is that
you make a one-off donation of at least £10.00. You can pass the donation to
one of the band members, together with your name and address details, or send
them directly to:
James Dale, 9 The Market Place, Aylsham, NR11 6EH