July 25 to July 28, 2024
We are excited to announce our first ever Summer Course in July 2024. It is for brass and percussion players aged 11 to 21 with a playing standard of around grade 4 and above.
The Summer Course will comprise three days of whole band and sectional work followed by a rehearsal and concert on day four. Participants will study with world-class visiting tutors alongside Amersham Band’s regular musical directors, all of whom have many years of experience in education in addition to their own successful playing careers. The final evening concert at Amersham’s new Lifestyle Centre will feature our very special guest trombone soloist, Katy Jones.
A community Brass Festival will run alongside the Summer Course, with three concerts by Amersham Band’s various bands and ensembles alongside guest soloists: trumpeter Mike Lovatt and trumpeter/vocalist Georgina Jackson. All Summer Course participants can take advantage of complimentary student tickets to attend these concerts.
The Summer Brass Course costs £250 per student. Families of the Summer Course students will be given complimentary tickets to see the students perform their end of course concert on Sunday evening.
Please note that the complimentary ticket is for course students only, with additional tickets available for purchase via the band’s box office using the following link
To apply for the course please use the 3D Barcode on the right
Amersham Band Tutors
Paul was appointed as Musical Director of Amersham Band in 2009. Since then he has led the band in their promotion from the fourth section of the brass banding world to the Championship Section. During this period the Amersham banding community has grown from one band to ten bands with over 200 members, spanning across all age ranges and abilities, with one goal in mind – to have fun and enjoy making music! Paul Fisher is widely regarded as one of the foremost music educators in the UK today. His weekly programmes of music workshops engage with over 500 children each week across his portfolio of work with Amersham Band, Brass Band England, Herts Music Service. Paul is also Business Engagement Manager for Conn Selmer in the UK and Europe.
Malcolm Peach was born in Ruislip and took his first musical steps on euphonium and trombone with Hillingdon music service. A firm love of music was soon evident and Malcolm could generally be found through his teenage years either playing, or listening to music of one kind or another. He completed his music degree at the University of Salford’s renowned Band Course under tutorage from Roy Newsome, Nick Childs, Andy Duncan, David King, and Peter Graham. During his undergraduate studies Malcolm switched to first study tuba and also gained his first experiences in conducting. Malcolm discovered a passion for music education and completed his postgraduate studies training as a music specialist secondary school teacher.
Former trombone player with the BBC Big Band, Ash Horton’s playing experience spans multiple genres including classical and jazz. He has played with The John Wilson Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hallé, John Dankworth Big Band and Quintet and West End shows including 42nd Street, West Side Story, Chicago and Guys and Dolls to name a few. Ash is deeply devoted to sharing his extensive musical expertise, utilising his vast performance background and varied career to mentor aspiring young musicians.
Deirdre Waller-Box, a trombonist hailing from the picturesque city of Dunedin, New Zealand, brings a wealth of experience to the music education world. Since her move to London in 2003, she has been at the forefront of music education, leading music departments in primary schools across London for two decades.Her passion for teaching shines through in her innovative, energetic and highly successful programs for whole class brass instruction, reaching hundreds of students each week. As the musical director, Deirdre oversees multiple brass ensembles, including Amersham Brass Blast, Brass Roots, London Metropolitan Brass Community Band, Camden Youth Brass, Camden Concert Band, and Camden Philharmonic Band. Her commitment to nurturing young talent is evident in her role as the Youth Development Brass Specialist for Brass Bands England.
Guest Tutors
Mike Lovatt is a UK virtuoso trumpeter, recording artist, sought after teacher and musical director who is internationally recognised for his wide-ranging stylistic ability. He is Principal Trumpet of the John Wilson Orchestra, the BBC Big Band, played with artists and orchestras such as Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey, Stormzy to the San Francisco Symphony and has also been featured on many movie scores including Avengers Endgame, the Judy Garland Bio Pic Judy and several Bond Movies including the last one to date No Time to Die. Mike is Professor at The Royal Academy of Music and holds the position The Derek Watkins’ Chair of Trumpet. He is also Professor at The Royal College of Music, and Associate Artist at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Mike is music director of the highly acclaimed Brass group Mike Lovatt’s Brass Pack, which premiered last summer with sold out performances at Harrogate and Snape festivals. This unique 25 piece brass big band is inspired by the 1968 iconic Capitol Records album Billy May’s Big Fat Brass. Forthcoming concerts this summer include a live album recording at Birmingham town hall and Snape Maltings.
Katy Jones is the Principal Trombonist of the Hallé Orchestra, Senior Tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music, and a Buteyko Breathing Practitioner. Her career as a musician has taken her all over the world, performing in concert halls from Japan and Korea, to the USA and Morocco. Previously Co-Principal Trombone with the London Symphony Orchestra (the first female brass principal in the history of the orchestra) she has also appeared on soundtracks for over 50 feature films and video games, including Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and several of the Harry Potter series With her communication skills, backed up by years of research, training, and practical brass playing experience, Katy has delivered lectures and workshops at the RNCM, RAM, Dublin Brass Week, Norwegian Academy of Music and for the Hallé Orchestra. This information is relevant for everyone: Breathing is for Life and not just for Wind Players!
The Location
The summer school will be held at Amersham Band’s bandroom and St Mary’s Church. Both of these are located in the picturesque Amersham Old Town, set in the beautiful Chilterns and with a variety of shops and eating places, but within easy travelling of the M25 and M40.
The summer school will be held at Amersham Band’s bandroom and St Mary’s Church. Both of these are located in the picturesque Amersham Old Town, set in the beautiful Chilterns and with a variety of shops and eating places, but within easy travelling of the M25 and M40.
St Mary’s Church is just two minutes’ walk from the bandroom and next to the Memorial Gardens, a frequent winner of the ‘In Bloom’ contest.
The Course
The Amersham Summer Brass Course will be a fun and friendly musical experience, welcoming young brass and percussion players. The days will be split between sectional and full ensemble rehearsals run by our dedicated and friendly tutors
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the course will run from 10am to 5pm and all students will meet at the bandhall on Rectory Meadow, Rectory Hill, Amersham, HP7 0BU
There will be short refreshment breaks during the morning and afternoon sessions (drinks and biscuits provided). Lunch break will be longer and students are welcome to bring their own food. Alternatively, a packed lunch can be purchased by booking in advance.
| 10:00 to 11:00 | Band warm-up and practice | 13:45 to 15:15 | Full band rehearsal |
| 11:00 to 11:30 | Break | 15:15 to 15:45 | Break |
| 11:30 to 13:00 | Upper / lower band sectionals | 15:45 to 17:00 | Final session – sectional or full band |
| 13:00 to 13:45 | Lunch break |
The concert rehearsal will be 2pm to 5pm, with the concert commencing at 7pm. In the break between rehearsal and concert, Parents can either collect their children to take off site or the students can bring a packed tea and supervision will be available.
Additional Information
Repertoire will include music from the pens of Philip Harper, James Curnow, Christopher Bond and many others.
What to Bring Your instrument and any accessories you may need such as mutes and valve oil. Water bottle – Keeping yourself hydrated during the sessions is key so make sure to drink plenty of water in the days. Additional drinks will be available during refreshments and lunch breaks.
The Schedule
The course schedule is shown below, along with the series of evening concerts displaying the talents of various musical groups and renowned soloists, culminating in the end of course concert on Sunday evening.
| Thu 25 July | Fri 26 July | Sat 27 July | Sun 28 July | |
| Venues | Bandhall / St Mary’s Church | Bandhall / St Mary’s Church | Bandhall / St Mary’s Church | Community Centre, Chiltern Lifestyle Centre |
| Timing | 9am to 5pm | 9am to 5pm | 9am to 5pm | 2pm to 5pm |
| Tutors | Paul Fisher Ash Horton Malcolm Peach Dee Waller-Box | Paul Fisher Ash Horton Malcolm Peach Dee Waller-Box | Paul Fisher Ash Horton Malcolm Peach Dee Waller-Box | Paul Fisher Ash Horton Malcolm Peach |
| Guest Tutors | Mike Lovatt | Katy Jones Mike Lovatt | Katy Jones |
The Concerts (all start at 7:30pm)
| Thu 25 July | Fri 26 July | Sat 27 July | Sun 28 July |
| St Mary’s Church | St Mary’s Church | St Mary’s Church | Community Centre, Chiltern Lifestyle Centre |
| Brass Blast, Brass Roots, AmJam and Amersham Community Band | Amersham Concert Brass and Big Band with Mike Lovatt | Amersham Band with Georgina Jackson | End of Course Concert with Katy Jones and the course students |
Above all, the Amersham Summer Brass Course is there for you to have fun, so please ask a tutor or volunteer helper if you have any problems or questions during the course.