Recent Events » Oompah!

Merlewood Care Home, Virginia Water – Friday 7th March 2025

We love it when we’re invited back! Here we are trying to look casual during a break at this lovely Care Home. Thanks for the coffee and cakes!

What’s so funny?

Merlewood Care Home, Virginia Water – Friday 7th February 2025

It’s not just about the music we play – it’s as much about the connection we make with our audience! The residents clearly had a great time:

“Thank you so much for performing for us last week – the residents and staff thoroughly enjoyed it … I can’t stress enough how much praise you have received from everyone here.” Julie, one of the staff

Thanks for inviting us back!

Promise Inclusion, Acorn Community Centre, Wokingham – Tuesday 7th January 2025

What a great first gig of the year! The members of Promise Inclusion were on top form – conducting, accompanying, singing and dancing during this 2-hour evening slot. We don’t have permission to publish photos of the fun they were having but you would have been impressed with their energy and enthusiasm!

Promise Inclusion is a local, independent registered charity that supports adults and children with learning disabilities and / or autism, their parents, carers and their families.

Thanks for your great review:

“Thank you so much to you and the wonderful Bandissimo for entertaining us so much last night. It was a brilliant evening all round and, as I said last night, you’re our new number 1 for best evening ever. Everyone was so engaged and had such fun.” The Acorn Centre Promise Inclusion Team

Optalis, Acorn Community Centre, Wokingham – Friday 20th December 2024

This was our first time entertaining members of Optalis and what a wonderful welcome we received from members of the group! There was definitely no problem in getting people involved – in fact, we had a new conductor called Denise who did a grand job in keeping us all in time! We were even counted in on more than one occasion which led to a few interesting speeds on some well-known carols! Here are a few shots of the wonderful members of the band who give up their time so readily in support of local community groups.

Bluebell House Nursing and Residential Care Home – Thursday 12th December 2024

What a lovely afternoon of carols and other Christmas music to get us all into the Christmas spirit! Resident Eric was on good form again with a couple of one liners that cracked us all up! Wishing you good Elf too, my friend!

Wade Day Care Centre, Wokingham – Friday 6th December 2024

Well, we’re not celebrating Oktoberfest any more but we’re still playing – under our umbrella name of Bandissimo! Here we are at the wonderful Wade Day Care Centre recruiting new members for the band! Or were we recruiting new members for the Day Centre? Anyway, there was lots of Christmas music and great participation! Thanks for inviting us!

Royal British Legion Club, Arborfield Cross – Saturday 26th October 2024

Thank you, Royal British Legion, for inviting us to entertain at your celebration of Octoberfest. It was great to see some of your guests in traditional costume and enjoying beer from the award-winning Siren Craft Brewery. Thanks to the volunteers who took part in the stein game – they’re trying to make it look easy but it’s a lot harder than it looks!

And, yes, it was a bit chilly!

Bluebell House Nursing and Residential Care Home, Wokingham – Friday 25th October 2024

We have a special relationship with this delightful nursing and residential care home. What a privilege it was to entertain the residents and their families for a couple of hours in the afternoon to celebrate Oktoberfest! We loved the way they joined in – and the staff too! Thanks for the refreshments and a special thanks to resident Eric – former musician and master of the one-liners – he had us all in stitches!

Siren Craft Brew, Reading – Saturday 19th October 2024

What a privilege to play at Siren Craft Brew’s flagship bar in central Reading! Thanks to Lucy and Paul for help with the logistics and to the warm welcome from staff. Congratulations to all who took part in the fun and games – but when the prize is a free award-winning beer, it’s no wonder there was no shortage of volunteers!

Wade Day Care Centre, Wokingham – Friday 4th October 2024

We were delighted to be invited back to the Wade Day Care Centre in Wokingham. A big round of applause for the members and staff for their singing, clapping, thigh slapping, good natured competition in the games and general all-round engagement – what a brilliant crowd! The Macarena wasn’t too bad either!

Hook and Odiham RFC Oktoberfest – 28th September 2024

What a superb event this was – all very Oktoberfest! We entertained with our core band of seven players – perfect when you need plenty of space for the dance floor! Well done to the girls for kicking things off so well and to everyone for their impressive singing, dancing and good natured competition! We loved playing for you – thanks for looking after the band so well and for inviting us back next year!

Siren Craft Brew, Finchampstead – Saturday 28th September 2024

We were delighted to support Siren Craft Brew this afternoon – such a great atmosphere and excellent beer! Well done to them for recently winning Supreme Champion Beer of Britain! Thanks for inviting us back next year!

Home Grange School, Wokingham – Thursday 26th September 2024

The torrential downpours presented a bit of a challenge for this outdoor event – but nothing dampened the spirits of the Holme Grange students who joined in with great enthusiasm! Even the staff were putting on a brave face! Thanks for having us!

WADE Day Care Centre, Wokingham – Friday 12th July 2024

What a great way to spend a Friday morning! Oompah! entertained members and staff at this wonderful day care centre in Wokingham from 10 – 11.30am. Impressive singing and participation, especially in the hat game and Macarena, led very capably by some enthusiastic staff members! Thanks for inviting us!

Hurst Show and Country Fayre – Saturday 29th June 2024

We love to support local events – the Hurst Show and Country Fayre is always an amazing event, including lots of live music! We definitely got toes tapping! One lady even asked us which part of Germany we were from! We’ll take that!

Arborfield Oktober Foodfest – Friday 27th October 2023

Oompah! was delighted to support this new event organised by the village’s events committee Engage. Thanks for the beer, Mysterious brewing Company!

Mysterious Brewing Company – Burghfield Village Hall – Friday 20th October 2023

Well, it doesn’t get more lively than this! Great crowd celebrating Burghtober fest (Octoberfest), hosted by the brilliant Mysterious Brewing Company! Lots of enthusiastic singing and appreciation of our music – it was a big line up this time (the full works)! Thanks for the beer and food, guys! And if you want to see some of the action, head to our videos page!

The Berkshire Care Home, Wokingham – Thursday 19th October 2023

Close to our hearts are the residents of the Berkshire Care Home. Oompah! regularly gets toes tapping and the happy faces are worth a million. Here are some of us who played for the residents and their loved ones. Staff had a good time too! Not quite sure what was so funny, though!

Maidenhead and Bray Cricket Club – Saturday 7th October 2023

What a great crowd! MBCC certainly know how to celebrate Octoberfest!

What MBCC said: “I can’t thank you enough for the great performance – everybody is talking about how great the band and evening was … it was a great night enjoyed by all and we will definitely have you guys back for our next Oktoberfest.”