Holkham Country Fair

The Minden Band of the Queen's Division

Grand Ring: Saturday 1200, 1445 & 1745; Sunday 1200, 1445 & 1800

The Minden Band appears by kind permission of the Colonel Commandant, The Queen’s Division, General Sir John McColl KCB CBE DSO

The Minden Band is based at Bassingbourn Barracks, Royston, and was formed in 1994 as part of the reorganisation of Army Bands from former Bands of Regiments within The Queen’s Division: The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (Queen’s and Royal Hampshires), The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and The Royal Anglian Regiment.

The Battle of Minden was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years War, in which Britain and Prussia were allied against the Empires of France, Austria and Russia. In the space of just a few hours, nine battalions of infantry (six British and three Hanoverian) defeated a numerically superior French force of eleven cavalry squadrons and seventeen infantry regiments. Not a war-winning battle, it will however always be remembered as an outstanding example of the discipline, courage and professional skill of the ordinary British infantry soldier who, against all odds, advanced on the French through the cross-fire of some sixty enemy cannons. The Band is named after the battle of Minden, an honour common to the three remaining Regiments of The Queen’s Division, and the Band wears a new Queen’s Division cap badge, retaining a traditional scarlet ceremonial uniform based on the Regiments it represents.

The musicians bring a breadth of experience in all fields, and perform in a number of ensembles - traditional marching and concert bands, brass and woodwind ensembles, soul, Jazz and dance bands, Fanfare Trumpeters and an 18 piece Big Band.

They are much in demand throughout the United Kingdom and overseas, recent tours including France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Cyprus, Kosovo, Bosnia, Italy - and now Norfolk!

Captain Simon Haw took up the baton as the Director of Music of The Minden Band in 2005, having previously served with various other Army Bands. The Bandmaster is WO1 Andy Birkett, and the Band is led on parade today by Drum Major Richie Maddocks. One of our favourite bands, we are delighted to welcome the Minden Band back to Holkham.