See also: Meet Our Conductor
History of the Band
The band was originally organized in 1986 for an Amherst PTA play. Under the leadership of Jean Butler, the band expanded from a small ensemble to a concert band, drawing its membership from both Amherst and surrounding towns.
Jean led the band until 2002, when she and her husband Irv retired. Photos from the early days of the band are available in the Archives page.
Patricia McMullen led the band from 2002 to 2012. Under her leadership, the band expanded its performance venues. Patricia decided to retire from conducting to return to the band as a playing member.
Patrick Matthews led the band from 2012 to 2017. Lisa Hansen was appointed the new conductor in April 2017.
Profile of the Band
The Amherst Town Band is a non-profit organization that operates for the purpose of providing affordable musical entertainment through public concerts consisting of a wide variety of instrumental compositions, such as classical, show tunes, big band, and marches.
The Amherst Town Band is a traditional town band of volunteer musicians. It strives to provide performances of artistic merit for the benefit of the band members, our audiences, and the greater Amherst community.
Our performance calendar of regular events have included Memorial Day and 4th of July concerts, Christmas concerts, Mont Vernon Old Home Days parade and concert, “Sounds on the Souhegan” summer concert in Milford, NH, and “Concerts on the Amherst Green” during August, sponsored by the Milford Rotary and Amherst Lions Clubs. The band has also performed in Wales, UK, as part of an exchange program with the Milford Haven Wales Town Band.
The band is also available for parades and private functions. For booking information, see Contact Us.