About the Band
The Bisham Concert Band is a friendly community wind band. It has players of all ages and abilities. The full range of woodwind and brass instruments is represented, along with a wide selection of percussion, timpani and string bass.
There are over 70 registered members. Often, 50 or more will be present at a rehearsal or engagement.
The Band welcomes players of all ages from 8 to 80. A standard of play of about Grade III/IV is a useful starting point, but the Band is not interested in formal qualifications so much as in a willingness to join in, learn by playing, and enjoying making music with others. Many of the members started playing instruments as adults.
The Music
The band plays a wide variety of music, from marches to Mozart, Gershwin to gavottes, Bach to Berlin, not forgetting tunes from the shows, and is always adding to its repertoire.
The band's conductor is Colin Ridgers. Colin received his formal musical training while serving with the Bands of the 10th Royal Hussars, the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars and, later, the REME Staff Band. On leaving service life he studied conducting with Bernard Keefe and Meredith Davies (orchestral), Laszlo Heltay (choral) and Roger Norrington (opera). Past conducting appointments have included various instrumental and vocal ensembles. Colin is also Musical Director of the Sound Force Big Band.
The Name
Although the band now rehearses in the Chiltern Hills near Stokenchurch, for many years it met in a school hall beside the Thames at Bisham, across the river from Marlow. The band has kept its name from that era, along with many of its long-serving players.
Copyright © 2006 Bisham Concert Band