The band traces its history back to 1893 when a village fife and drum band used to rehearse in a shed behind the water mill. During the First World War the band dispersed but it is thought to have played at the celebrations of the Armistice in the River Meadow in 1919.
From then until the outbreak of the Second World War the band had a very eventful history and gave concerts on Saturday evenings in the Village Square until increasing motor traffic dispersed them.
During the Second World War many of the bandsmen served in the Armed Forces and the instruments were held in storage. The Rector of Pangbourne appealed in 1948 for the band to be re-formed but this did not happen until 1962, when the late Mr Henry Fuller began giving lessons to six children in his home. It was then that the old instruments were recovered and local brass players came forward to help. At Christmas in 1963 the children collected eight pounds from carol playing. A small committee was formed to start up the band and the eight pounds became the first deposit in the new band's account. Within six years the band had grown to full size and has successfully continued to this day, providing music for the community and a welcoming environment for musicians of all standards and ages to play and improve their skills.
The band enjoys a full engagement calendar each year, playing for other community group events such as fetes, car shows and special celebrations such as the 80th Anniversaries of D-Day and VE Day and we are frequently booked to play at private functions such as weddings. We like to undertake a concert each year in support of other local charities and enjoy providing a family friendly Christmas concert in the Pangbourne Club.
In order to continuously improve the standard of the band we usually undertake one or two contests each year, booking a guest conductor to undertake a weekend workshop with us to hone our skills.
We enjoy taking the band on tour and have regularly attended the Whit Friday Contests in Saddleworth and Tameside. We have toured throughout Europe several times and have performed in Pangbourne’s Twin village of Houdan in France. We also have very close links with the Mid Michigan Brass Band in the US and have been on tour in Michigan in 2014 and 2019. Preparations for our third tour of the State for the summer of 2025 are well advanced and we are looking forward to spending two weeks there in August with a stopover bonus in Iceland on the way.