Ampleforth College

Ampleforth Big Band

The Big Band caters for brass and saxophone players above grade 5 standard, and also features a keyboard player, bass guitarist and percussionist. It rehearses once a week on Tuesday evenings in the Old Gym, and is conducted by Mr Dore.

In the summer of 2007 the band spent two days recording and worked extremely hard to put together a CD called Take the A Train which was released on Monday 15 October. There are fourteen tracks ranging from 1930s swing to 1970s rock, produced and edited by John West and engineered by Shaun Trotter. More recently, they have recorded for the new Ampleforth CD, a three movement suite called Maiden of the Sea composed by their director. The CD is projected for release in the Summer of 2012 (excerpts of the 3 movements can be heard here)

The band has given concerts and provided music for many social engagements in Yorkshire and beyond, and in October 2009, undertook a five day tour to play four ‘gigs’ at the Cork International Jazz Festival, and in the surrounding area. Their main school events of the year are the Leavers’ Ball, St Cecilia Concert, and the Exhibition Friday Jazz Night, which is held for the in St. Alban Centre, as its popularity has outgrown the Old Gym. Recent events in 2011-12 have included a short tour to London to play at one of the prep schools, and at the 606 Jazz club in Chelsea, and a very successful fund-raising concert in Helmsley Arts Centre which raised £1500 for the St Catherine’s hospice and the Ryedale Folk Museum.