About Us
Welcome to the ‘Official’ Web site of the City of Southampton (Albion) Band.
We are based in Southampton at ‘The Swaythling Neighbourhood Centre’, just below Broadlands Road. Parking is available in the centre’s car park, via a road from Broadlands Road.
We rehearse every Monday evening, Practice starting at 7.30pm, until 9.45pm.
We always make new players welcome, even if they are just visiting the City. If you are interested in coming along then drop us a line.
The City of Southampton (Albion) Band was founded in 1920, and since then it has been part of the City’s heritage, cultural, and community scene playing at the Dell, (Southampton Football Club’s old ground ) for over forty years and at leading local events such as Remembrance Day, VE and VJ Day parades and at the FA Cup Final celebrations in 1976. The Band is also at the forefront of playing cruise liners away from the quayside in the historic “Titanic” tradition.
The Band has a very full and varied engagement list in addition to the above, including formal concerts, bandstands, charity events, Christmas carols, and regular tours abroad. In June 2005 the Band had a highly successful five concert tour of the Algarve and has been to Southern Germany many times and most recently in 2008.
Highlights of 2011 included playing at the London Marathon and the Bupa 10k Race in London, trips to Coventry for the Cornish Clayminers and Korean Veterans Association reunion weekends and a trip to Madeira in October. For 2012 the band are hoping to return to Germany in July and have a trip to Carmarthen planned for October.
Nick Dawson, the Band’s Director of Music, has been its conductor since 1993 and gained his earlier experience in the 1980’s with Roger Swift, Director of Music at Knellar Hall and with Jerry MacCall of the Coldstream Guards.
