Nottinghamshire Police Band can trace its origins to the Nottingham Police Borough Band, formed in about 1887. The first recorded engagement was performed at the Mayor’s annual garden party.
In those days the Police Service was very much run on military terms and the band was formed on the same basis. Players were serving and retired Police Officers and others were invited to assist.
Very little music was written specifically for Military bands and the repertoire consisted mainly of arrangements of adapted orchestral works. Engagements took place throughout the year and during the summer months the band featured in many of the parks in and around Nottingham. Invited guests conducted the band but 1896 saw the first serving Police Officer appointed to the post of Director of Music. When Queen Victoria decreed in 1897 that Nottingham would become a City the band was renamed the Nottingham City Police Band
It was during this time that the then Chief Constable, Mr Cloy, regularly enjoyed conducting the band and took the baton at many of its functions.
For many years the band continued to feature prominently in Nottingham’s social calendar. There was a short break in continuity during the First World War, but the band reconvened and continued to function up until the start of the Second World War. As many Police Officers were drafted into the armed services at this time the band continued as the Nottingham City Special Constabulary Military Band.
After the war Captain Popkiss took the baton for a time and, after his retirement as Director of Music, the position was taken by a succession of retired Army Bandmasters.
The band played on into the 1950’s, continuing to be a regular part of the Nottingham scene, taking part in radio broadcasts, and annual charity concerts, with guest compères such as Michael Aspel, Hughie Green and Shaw Taylor among others.
Up until the 1960’s there were no female members of the band, but as the police began to recruit more female officers, those with musical talents made themselves known, and the band started to have female members
In 1968 the City and County Police Forces amalgamated and the band continued as the Nottingham Combined Constabulary Band, still with great demand for its services.
Nottingham is twinned with the city of Karlsruhe in Germany, and the band was hosted by the Karlsruhe Police Band on several occasions, attracting great interest and acclaim in that city as it performed to the delight of local people. The relationship with Karlsruhe Police Band led to many long-standing friendships and their band has made several return visits to Nottingham.
Another change of name in 1998 to the Nottinghamshire Police Wind Orchestra reflected the band’s modern approach at that time.
Early in the new Century the band changed its name again to the ‘Nottinghamshire Police Band’, with a comment from an older band member that this change was due to the cost of all the letters required to be printed on the band music folders.
While in previous years the police band could enjoy a healthy number of police officers within the ranks of the band, due to the cut backs in Musical education in schools, and the reduction in music being made by our armed forces, the number of serving officers with the necessary skills and interest have reduced over the years, and today, the band only has a few serving officers as members of the band, and most of the Band members come from all walks of life, from the NHS to computing, and Prison Officers to Care homes.
The strong and friendly team of musicians continues to support the police and the wider community in Nottinghamshire, playing at a variety of events including Police medal ceremonies, dinner nights, concerts, and the band is proud to support local and national charities by performing at fundraising events around Nottinghamshire.
Special mention must be made of Len Greatorex. Len played the Bass Trombone with the band for roughly 65 years, and only recently left the band due to failing eyesight, not due to any reduction in his ability to play. Len will be greatly missed by the band.
If you have any information, memories or memorabilia connected to the Nottinghamshire Police Band over the years we would love to hear from you.
Wednesday 05 March 2025 Nottinghamshire Police Force Awards Ceremony
Friday 09 May 2025 Joint Memorial Service
Friday 09 May 2025 ‘Live Our Best Lives’ Awards
Monday 12 May 2025 Nottinghamshire Police Force Awards Ceremony
Tuesday 13 May 2025 Nottinghamshire Police Force Awards Ceremony
Monday 30 June 2025 Nottinghamshire Police Force Awards Ceremony
Monday 08 September 2025 Wind Quintet Only – Nottinghamshire Police Force Awards Ceremony
Saturday 20 September 2025 Grove Street Church, Retford
Saturday 08 November 2025 St. Peter & St. Parish Church (Warsop), Church Warsop, Nottinghamshire, UK
Wednesday 12 November 2025 Wind Quintet Only – Nottinghamshire Police Cadet Attestation Ceremony
Sunday 03 March 2024 Annual Legal Service
Tuesday 07 May 2024 Force Awards
Wednesday 08 May 2024 Force Awards
Wednesday 19 June 2024 Force Awards
Sunday 28 July 2024 Teversal visitors centre
Friday 27 September 2024 East Markham Church, East Markham.
Saturday 09 November 2024 Poppy / Memorial Concert
Friday 29 November 2024 John Eastwood Hospice – ‘ Tree Of Light’ Memorial Service
Saturday 30 November 2024 Grove Street Church, Retford
Tuesday 17 December 2024 Emergency Services Carol Service
Sunday 05 March 2023 Legal Service
Monday 27 March 2023 Len Greatorex – Funeral
Saturday 19 August 2023 Teversal visitors centre
Saturday 11 November 2023 Remembrance Concert, Church-Warsop
Friday 01 December 2023 John Eastwood Hospice – End Of Year Remembrance & Christmas Lights Switch-On
Tuesday 19 December 2023 Emergency Services Carol Service
Sunday 12 June 2022 Platinum Jubilee Concert (II)
Thursday 28 July 2022 Official Opening of the new Rufford Building (Forces HQ)
Sunday 09 October 2022 Concert – Turner Hall
Saturday 12 November 2022 Remembrance / Poppy Proms Concert
Tuesday 13 December 2022 Emergency Services Carol Service
Wednesday 31 March 2021 Zoom Coffee’n’Cake.
Saturday 13 November 2021 ‘Poppy Proms’ (Evening)
Wednesday 08 December 2021 Joint Emergency Services Carol Concert
Sunday 08 March 2020 High Sheriff event: St Marchy’s church Nottingham
Monday 15 June 2020 Virtual Performance (Recording)
Saturday 05 September 2020 Virtual Recording – Ashokan Farewell
Sunday 22 November 2020 Recording For Virtual Carol Service – Silent Night
Saturday 2nd March 2019 Peterborough, Marriott Hotel, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6GB. Playing for the Royal Fusiliers Reunion.
Saturday 30th March 2019 East Markham Church at 19:30 – To raise funds to replace the Lead that went
‘missing’ from its roof.
Sunday 28th April 2019 Turner Hall at 15:00 – A community concert for the enjoyment of all.
Saturday 18th May 2019 Warsop Church at 15:00 – A charity concert to raise funds for local amenities.
Friday 05 July 2019 Jack Smiths Funeral.
Thursday 21 November 2019 Nottinghamshire Police Awards Ceremony.
Sunday 08 December 2019 Concert at Galleries of justice, Nottingham.
Wednesday 11 December 2019 Joint Emergency Carol Service.
Thursday 12 December 2019 BBC Radio Nottingham Carol Service.
Friday 20 December 2019 Carols Nottingham Police Force HQ.
Proms In The Park, Armed Forces Day, West Bridgford. Saturday, 30th June 2018 @ 12:00 Midday. West Bridgford Park, near the Library. A lunchtime concert to celebrate armed forces day.
Worsop Outdoor Concert. Saturday, 29th September 2018 @ 16:00 St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church, Warsop, Notts. A late afternoon concert.
Evening Concert. Saturday, 13th October 2018 @ 19:30 St Wilfrid’s, Kirkby in Ashfield
Fundraising Concert Sunday, 18th November 2018 The Grange Hall, Vicarage Lane, Radcliffe on Trent, Nottingham.
Saturday 4th March 2017 Marriott Hotel, Peterborough, PE2 6GB Private event – An evening performance for the reunion of the Royal Fusiliers.
Sunday 12th March 2017 Legal Service, St. Mary’s Church, Lace Market, Nottingham.
Sunday, 19th March 2017 @ 3:00pm Lark Hill Village, near Clifton / Gotham. Afternoon Concert.
Saturday, 13th May 2017 @ 10:00am (tbc). Nottingham County Show, Newark Showground. An outdoor concert to be performed in the morning.
Saturday, 14th October 2017 @ 7:30pm. All Hallows’ Church, Gedling, Nottingham. An evening concert.
Thursday, 2nd November 2017 @ 8:00pm. Private Event. Nottinghamshire Police Awards Ceremony. An opportunity to celebrate individual members of Nottinghamshire Police.
Wednesday, 6th December 2017 @ 7:00pm. Southwell Minster, Southwell, Near Newark. Joint Emergency Services carol concert.
Saturday, 9th December 2017 @ 7:30pm. St Peter and St Paul’s, Church Warsop. An evening concert, which will inevitably include some Christmas standards.
Saturday, 23rd December 2017 @ TBC. Albert Hall, Derby Road, Nottingham City Centre. Christmas Carol Concert.
Saturday 23rd January @ 15:00 Southwell Minster School. Joint concert with Southwell minster school
Sunday 13th March 2016 @ TBC St. Mary’s Church, Lace Market. Legal Service.
Sunday 13th March 2016 @ 3:00pm Albert Hall, Nottingham. Joint Concert with Mansfield Male Voice Choir.
Saturday, 14th May 2016 @ 7:00pm. Dunham Village Hall, East Drayton, Bassetlaw District. Fundraising Concert.
Friday, 20th May @ 7:00pm. Colwick Hall Hotel. James Bond, 007 Gala Dinner.
Saturday, 2nd July @ 2:00pm. Yeoman Hill Park, Mansfield Woodhouse. Bandstand Concert.
Thursday 3rd November 2016 An evening Awards Ceremony to celebrate the activities of individual members of the Nottinghamshire Police Force. Held at the Albert Hall, in Nottingham.
Saturday, 3rd December 2016 @ 7:00pm. Turner Community Hall, Mansfield Woodhouse. Christmas Concert.
Tuesday, 13th December 2016 @ 6:30pm. Southwell Minster, Southwell. Joint Emergency Services Carol Service.
Wednesday 4th February 2015 (Evening) Held at the Albert Hall, in Nottingham. An evening Awards Ceremony for the Nottinghamshire Police.
Saturday 7th March 2015 (Evening) Marriott Hotel, Peterborough, PE2 6GB Private event – An evening concert for the reunion of the Royal Fusiliers.
Saturday 21st March 2015 (Evening) St. Peter’s Parish Church Warsop, for the Multiple Sclerosis Support Group. London Marathon Fundraiser
Saturday 11th April 2015 (Evening) Annesley Church, baton down at 19:00.
Friday 24th April 2015 (Evening) St. Marys Church, Nottingham, Lace Market. Charity Concert for Emmanual House and The Galleries of Justice
Saturday 16th May 2015 (Evening) The Church of St Peter and St Paul, East Drayton. Fundraising Charity Concert.
Tuesday 16th June 2015 St. Marys Church, Nottingham, Lace Market. Magna Carta Commemoration Concert.
Saturday 17 Oct 2015 St. Mary’s Church, Lace Market. Magna Carta Commemoration Concert.
Saturday 24 Oct 2015 @ 8:00pm Hayes Conference Centre, Alfreton. National Wind Band Festival Conference.
Wednesday 18 Nov 2015 @ TBC Albert Hall, Nottingham. Awards Ceremony.
Saturday 21 Nov 2015 @ 7:00pm Aspley Church. Remembrance Concert.
Tuesday 15th December 2015 @ 7:30pm St. Mary’s Church, High Pavement. BBC Radio Nottingham Recording.
Wednesday 16th December 2015 @ 7:00pm Southwell Minster. Joint Emergency Services Carol Concert.
Saturday 19th December 2015 @ 7:00pm St. Tereasa’s Church. Christmas Concert.
Sunday 9th February 2014 Fundraising Event for Lark Hill Village.
Saturday 22nd March 2014 Annesley Church, baton down at 7:00pm.
Friday 25th April 2014 Nottinghamshire Police Band are pleased to be playing at a charity concert in aid of Emmanuel House Homeless Charity (Nottingham). We’re playing at St. Barnabus Cathedral Church, North Circus Street (off Derby Road), Nottingham, NG1 5AE, on Friday 25th April 2014, starting at 7:30 pm.
Saturday 8th November 2014 St. Peter’s Parish Church Warsop, for the Royal British Legion. And the start of the Poppy Appeal.
Saturday 6th December 2014 Turner Hall in the evening at 7:00pm, featuring Christmas music to get you in the mood for this festive season.
Tuesday 16th December 2014 Emergency Services Carol Service. Southwell Minster. These services are open to the general public to celebrate the work of our emergency services.
Saturday 20th December 2014 An Evening Christmas Concert at the Roman Catholic Church in Warsop.
Saturday 2nd March 2013 Marriott
Hotel, Peterborough, PE2 6GB. Playing
for the reunion of the Royal Fusiliers
Thursday 21st March 2013 Albert
Hall, Nottingham. Evening performance
for a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Ceremony.
Friday 10th May 2013 Albert
Hall, Nottingham. Evening performance
for a ceremony to pay tribute to officers on duty during the riots of 2012.
Sunday 12th May 2013 Newark
County Show. Lunchtime performance for
the Nottinghamshire community.
Sunday 16th June 2013 Southwell
Minster. A morning service (11:00) with
the Sheriff Of Nottingham, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the coronation
of the Queen.
Saturday 29th June 2013 Newstead
Abbey. Byron Festival.
Saturday 6th July 2013 Lenton
Abbey Park. Community Fun Day.
Friday 19th July 2013 East
Drayton Parish Church. An evening
concert to help with Fundraising for a new roof.
Monday 28th October 2013 Albert
Hall, Nottingham. Evening performance
for a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Ceremony for Nottinghamshire Police
Officers.
Saturday 2nd November 2013 Warsop
Parish Church. For the Royal British
Legion and the start of the Poppy Appeal
Saturday 23rd November 2013 Monte
Carlo – 6th annual gala of the International Police Association, at the
prestigious Hotel Hermitage in the principality of Monaco. By road this will take 18 hrs (ish). How we
suffered for our art !
Wednesday 18th December 2013 Joint
Emergency Services Christmas Carol Service, Southwell Minster