The Beginning
The BBC Elstree Concert Band was founded by flautist Ian Marshall and gave its first public concert at the BBC’s Elstree Studios in July 1986. The audience was a modest one but included, crucially, the Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood and the Town Council’s Entertainments Officer. Their support over subsequent years has been vital to the band’s development. Indeed, Elstree and Borehamwood remains very much our spiritual home and we regularly give concerts there.
“A great big thank you to the band both for your performance at Allum Hall and at Elstree Film Studios. The choice of music never fails to excite. We are so lucky in E&B to have been able to call on such combined talent.” Pat Strack, Elstree & Borehamwood Town Mayor 2009
Our Development
The band plays a high standard of music from show tunes to wind band repertoire to film music to classical pieces. The continued development of the Band into the versatile and entertaining ensemble it is today is down to the inspirational and energetic leadership of two people: the founding Musical Director Mike Crisp and the current Musical Director Andrew Morley.
Over the thirty-plus years of its existence the band has played at a wide range of venues in and around London, including the Elstree and Maida Vale Studios, St James’s Church Piccadilly, The Proms at St Jude's (Hampstead Garden Suburb), Millfield Theatre, Allum Hall, St John's Waterloo and Dorchester Abbey. The ensemble has also given concerts further afield in Belgium, France and Germany.
The Band’s performances have been broadcast nationally as well as internationally through the BBC World Service. It provided the music for a major BBC 1 documentary, participated in a Radio 3 programme on the music of Charles Ives aired as part of the “Discovering Music” series and has made several recordings. The band performed many concerts in support of The Voice of the Listener Trust and in aid of several other charitable organisations. In September 2017, the band was delighted to be involved in the Elstree Studios 90th Anniversary celebration event where the guest of honour was Dame Diana Rigg.
The band rehearses at BBC Maida Vale Studios on Monday evenings from mid-September to July each year.
The BBC Elstree Concert Band was founded by flautist Ian Marshall and gave its first public concert at the BBC’s Elstree Studios in July 1986. The audience was a modest one but included, crucially, the Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood and the Town Council’s Entertainments Officer. Their support over subsequent years has been vital to the band’s development. Indeed, Elstree and Borehamwood remains very much our spiritual home and we regularly give concerts there.
“A great big thank you to the band both for your performance at Allum Hall and at Elstree Film Studios. The choice of music never fails to excite. We are so lucky in E&B to have been able to call on such combined talent.” Pat Strack, Elstree & Borehamwood Town Mayor 2009
Our Development
The band plays a high standard of music from show tunes to wind band repertoire to film music to classical pieces. The continued development of the Band into the versatile and entertaining ensemble it is today is down to the inspirational and energetic leadership of two people: the founding Musical Director Mike Crisp and the current Musical Director Andrew Morley.
Over the thirty-plus years of its existence the band has played at a wide range of venues in and around London, including the Elstree and Maida Vale Studios, St James’s Church Piccadilly, The Proms at St Jude's (Hampstead Garden Suburb), Millfield Theatre, Allum Hall, St John's Waterloo and Dorchester Abbey. The ensemble has also given concerts further afield in Belgium, France and Germany.
The Band’s performances have been broadcast nationally as well as internationally through the BBC World Service. It provided the music for a major BBC 1 documentary, participated in a Radio 3 programme on the music of Charles Ives aired as part of the “Discovering Music” series and has made several recordings. The band performed many concerts in support of The Voice of the Listener Trust and in aid of several other charitable organisations. In September 2017, the band was delighted to be involved in the Elstree Studios 90th Anniversary celebration event where the guest of honour was Dame Diana Rigg.
The band rehearses at BBC Maida Vale Studios on Monday evenings from mid-September to July each year.
