Introduction
This article provides a brief outline of the bands within the British Armed Forces.
Royal Air Force Bands
Royal Air Force Music Services has its origins in the RAF School of Music which was established by Walford Davies in 1918.
| Name | Location (2018) | Establishment (2018) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters Music Services | RAF Northholt | 11 | |
| Central Band of the RAF and the RAF Squadronaires | RAF Northholt | 53 | Established in 1920. In 1922 they were the first military band to broadcast on the BBC. They play a vital part in State Ceremonial events, as well as performing across the UK in support of Service charities and Military Tattoos. |
| The Band of the RAF Regiment and the RAF Shades of Blue | RAF Northholt | 53 | Established in 1942. |
| The RAF Salon Orchestra | RAF Northholt | 7 | The RAF Salon Orchestra is a seven-piece strings and piano ensemble that performs for Royal, state, and ceremonial occasions across the UK and around the world. The Orchestra’s roots are traceable to 1937 when a number of London’s finest string players were recruited for the RAF Symphony Orchestra which found eminence in the war years. As national service came to an end, the Symphony Orchestra was significantly reduced and the Salon Orchestra was established in 1949. Today, this versatile ensemble performs in a variety of settings from intimate formal dinners to prestigious concert venues with some of the biggest names in the music industry. |
| The Band of the RAF College and RAF Swing Wing | RAF Cranwell | 53 | Established in 1920. Although its primary function was to provide musical support for the college it was has since excelled and became the first ever military band to be recorded in concert, live for broadcast on Sky Arts. |
| The Band of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force | RAF Cranwell | 54 | Formation took place at Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 2015 with its first attestation in 2016. Consisting of four full time Reserve staff at their Headquarters, the other members of the Band are Part Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) Musicians who are contracted to a minimum of 27 days per year. The Band undertake a variety of engagements both independently and in support of the three Regular Royal Air Force Bands. |
Notes
- The establishment (posts not people) total is 177 Regular personnel and 54 RAF Reserve (including 4 Full Time Reserve Service personnel.
- There have been no establishment changes since 2018.
- In 2018, the RAF Music Services were part of 38 Group before moving to the Support Force in 2020.
Royal Marines Bands
| Name | Location (2018) | Establishment (2018) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | HMS Excellent | ||
| Royal Marines School of Music | HMS Nelson | The training establishment for the Royal Marines Band Service. As such, it provides all the military training needed for students to offer logistical and medical support to serving Royal Marines Commandos, while also giving musical training to the future musicians and buglers of the most versatile military band in the world. Each student has the opportunity to qualify up to degree level, gaining the expertise required to eventually perform on the world stage, both at important ceremonial events and high-profile concerts. | |
| Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Portsmouth | HMS Nelson | 65 | |
| Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Collingwood | HMS Collingwood | 55 | Has a dual role: entertaining and inspiring both troops and civilians; and deploying on RFA Argus as a fully operational military force. |
| Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Scotland | MOD Caledonia | 55 | Formed at HMS Condor, Arbroath, in 1960. Moves to Rosyth in 1971. |
| Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Plymouth | HMS Raleigh | 55 | A typical week’s work for RM Band Plymouth could include a ceremonial parade for a visiting head of state, several Beating Retreat displays for the general public, a fanfare for the opening of a new prestigious building, a concert, an evening dance and a cabaret display, as well as providing orchestral background music for naval dinners. |
| Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Commando Training Centre Lympstone | CTC RM | 55 | |
| Corps of Drums |
Notes
- There have been no establishment changes since 2018.
- The Naval Service consists of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
- Command is through the Deputy Commandant Royal Marines.
- There are also several Royal Navy Volunteer Bands, located at:
- HMS Seahawk.
- HMS Drake.
- BRNC Dartmouth.
- HMS Heron.
- HMS Collingwood.
- HMS Sultan.
- HMS Nelson.
- Northwood Headquarters.
- HMS Neptune.
British Army Bands
- All Regular Army bands are part of the Royal Corps of Army Music.
- The Corps was formed in 1994 under the ‘Options for Change’ Defence Review.
- On the 11 January 2021, HRH The Countess of Wessex presented the Royal Title to the Corps on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.
- The home of the Corps is Gibraltar Barracks, Minley, a site that encompasses:
- Headquarters The Royal Corps of Army Music; and
- Kneller Wing of the Royal Military School of Music.
- Kneller Hall, Twickenham, used to house the Corps’ Headquarters and the Royal Military School of Music.
- The School was founded by HRH Field Marshal the Duke of Cambridge after his appointment as Commander in Chief of the British Army in 1857.
- The establishment was graciously retitled the Royal Military School of Music in the Golden Jubilee year of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, 1887.
- A plaque to commemorate the Centenary of the School’s opening was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1957.
- Army music moved from Kneller Hall in 2021 to Minley, Surrey and Portsmouth, Hampshire.
- There are approximately 750 serving Regular musicians.
Regular Army Bands (2018)
| Name | Location | Establishment |
|---|---|---|
| The Band of the Household Cavalry | Windsor | 63 |
| Band of the Grenadier Guards | London | 46 |
| Band of the Coldstream Guards | London | 46 |
| Band of the Scots Guards | London | 46 |
| Band of the Irish Guards | London | 46 |
| Band of the Welsh Guards | London | 46 |
| The Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra | Woolwich | 20 |
| The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland | Edinburgh | 46 |
| The Band of the Royal Armoured Corps | Catterick | 35 |
| The Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | Catterick | 14 |
| The Band of the Parachute Regiment | Colchester | 35 |
| The Army Air Corps Band | Colchester | 15 |
| The Prince of Wales Band | St Athan | 32 |
| The Royal Artillery Band | Tidworth | 35 |
| The Band and Bugles of the Rifles | Winchester | 35 |
| The Band of the King’s Division | Weeton | 32 |
| The Band of the Queen’s Division | Henlow | 34 |
| The Band of the Adjutant General’s Corps | Worthy Down | 15 |
| The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers | Chatham | 35 |
| The Band of the Royal Logistic s Corps | Deepcut | 35 |
| The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals | Cosford | 32 |
| The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas | Folkestone | 35 |
Notes
- Location changes since 2018 (changed in 2019) are as follows:
- The Prince of Wales Band (St Athan to Brecon).
- The Band and Bugles of the Rifles (Winchester to Worthy Down).
- The Band of the King’s Division (Weeton to Catterick).
- The Band of the Queen’s Division (Henlow to Colchester).
- The Band of the Adjutant General’s Corps (Worthy Down to Tidworth).
- The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers (Chatham to Tidworth).
- The Band of the Royal Logistic Corps (Deepcut to Sandhurst).
- The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals (Cosford to Sandhurst).
- In terms of ‘command’:
- Regular Army Bands came under Regional Command in 2018.
- In 2019, this changed to London District.
Regular Army Bands (2019)
In 2019, the bands were restructured as outlined below.
| Name | Specialism | Active From | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band of the Household Cavalry | Mounted Band | September 2014 | Windsor | The band was formed in September 2014 by the union of The Band of The Life Guards with The Band of The Blues and Royals, the two mounted bands of the British Army. With over sixty musicians, the band is now the largest Regular military band in the UK. |
| Band of the Grenadier Guards | Symphonic Wind Band | 1685 | Central London | It is one of the oldest and most iconic military bands in the world. Formed in 1685 at the request of Charles II, the band began as an ensemble of Hautbois (a forerunner to the oboe). |
| Band of the Coldstream Guards | Symphonic Wind Band | 1685 | Central London | Its main tasks include Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and performing for The Queen’s Birthday Parade. |
| Band of the Scots Guards | Symphonic Wind Band | 1716 | Central London | Its roles include musical support to Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and performing for The Queen’s Birthday Parade. |
| Band of the Irish Guards | Symphonic Wind Band | 1900 | Central London | It was formed on 1st April 1900, to commemorate the bravery of the men from Irish Regiments who fought with distinction in the South African campaigns. Its main tasks include Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and performing for The Queen’s Birthday Parade. |
| Band of the Welsh Guards | Symphonic Wind Band | 1915 | Central London | Formed in 1915 in the same year as the Regiment. Its main tasks include Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and performing for The Queen’s Birthday Parade. |
| The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland | Symphonic Wind Band | 2006 | Edinburgh | Its main tasks include supporting the British Army at ceremonial occasions that occur in Scotland, including Garden Parties, State Banquets and Guards of Honour at The Palace of Holyrood House, Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, and Balmoral. |
| The Band and Bugles of The Rifles | Marching Fast | 2007 | Winchester | Formed from The Band and Bugles of The Light Division on 1st February 2007. This took place in conjunction with the formation of The RIFLES, a new infantry regiment created through the amalgamation of The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, The Light Infantry, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry and The Royal Green Jackets. The band is the fastest marching band in the British Army adopting a tempo of 140 beats per minute! |
| The Band of the Prince of Wales | Brass Ensemble | 2019 | Brecon | In existence since 2017 with its roots being firmly embedded within the former Lucknow and Clive Bands of The Prince Of Wales’s Division. The instrumentation of this band is focused on the brass family and provides a range of small specialist ensembles to events such as dinner nights, church services and Remembrance events across Wales and the United Kingdom. |
| The Countess Of Wessex’s String Orchestra (CWSO) | String Orchestra | 2014 | Woolwich | Its main roles include performing for investitures and ceremonies at the Royal households, including state banquets and dinners. Although string playing can be traced back as far as 1762 with the Orchestra of The Royal Artillery, the CWSO is taking this genre forward with the inclusion of electronic string instruments and small ensembles specialising in modern genres, appealing to audiences of all ages. |
| British Army Band Catterick | Brass Band | 2019 | Catterick | One of two Regular Army brass bands. The band was formed in 2019, bringing together musicians from the bands of The Royal Armoured Corps, The King’s Division and The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. |
| British Army Band Sandhurst | Symphonic Wind Band | 2019 | Sandhurst | It is a 43-piece symphonic wind band incorporating The Band of the Royal Logistic Corps and The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals. Its main roles include providing musical support at passing out parades in the surrounding areas, such as Army Training Centre Pirbright and Sovereign’s parades for the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Other engagements include dinner nights with smaller ensembles and supporting military sporting events. |
| British Army Band Tidworth | Brass Band | 2019 | Tidworth | Incorporates three bands: The Royal Artillery Band; The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers; and The Band of the Adjutant General’s Corps. |
| British Army Band Colchester | Symphonic Wind Band | 2019 | Colchester | Incorporates The Band of The Parachute Regiment, The Band of the Army Air Corps and The Band of The Queen’s Division. The band’s main roles involve delivering musical support to the Army and the wider Defence community. The band undertakes a busy schedule of performances, including a full range of military and civilian engagements, both at home and abroad. |
| Corps Engagement Team | The Corps Engagement Team are a small group of Army musicians dedicated to supporting potential applicants and gatekeepers in finding out more about careers in British Army music. |
Army Reserve Bands
| Name | Location (2018) | Establishment (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Honourable Artillery Company Regimental Band | London | 35 |
| The Band of the Royal Yeomanry | London | 35 |
| Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland | Perth | 21 |
| Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland | Edinburgh | 21 |
| The Band of the Royal Irish Regiment | Holywood | 35 |
| The Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | Newcastle upon Tyne | 21 |
| The Royals Signals (Northern) Band | Darlington | 35 |
| The Lancashire Artillery Band | Bolton | 35 |
| The Band of the Yorkshire Regiment | Huddersfield | 21 |
| The Band of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment | Liverpool | 21 |
| The Band of 150 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps | Hull | 21 |
| The Nottinghamshire Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers | Nottingham | 35 |
| The Band of the Mercian Regiment | Wolverhampton | 21 |
| The Band of the Royal Anglian Regiment | Peterborough | 21 |
| The Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Welsh | Newport | 21 |
| The Band of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment | Canterbury | 21 |
| The Army Medical Service Band | Camberley | 35 |
| The Salamanca Band and Bugles of The Rifles | Exeter | 21 |
| The Waterloo Band and Bugles of The Rifles | Abingdon | 21 |
| The Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment | Gibraltar | 29 |
Notes
- In terms of ‘command’:
- Army Reserve Bands came under their respective cap-badges in 2018.
- In 2019, this changed to London District.
Regimental Music Groups
| Name | Location (2018) |
|---|---|
| 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Corps of Drums | Aldeshot |
| 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards Corps of Drums | Windsor |
| 1st Battalion Scots Guards Corps of Drums | Aldershot |
| 1st Battalion Irish Guards Corps of Drums | Hounslow |
| 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Corps of Drums | Windsor |
| 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Corps of Drums | Paderborn |
| 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Corps of Drums | Tidworth |
| 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment Corps of Drums | Woolwich |
| 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment Corps of Drums | Dhekelia |
| 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment Corps of Drums | Chester |
| 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment Corps of Drums | Catterick |
| 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment Corps of Drums | Catterick |
| 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment Corps of Drums | Bulford |
| 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment Corps of Drums | Cyprus |
| 1 Royal Welsh Corps of Drums | Tidworth |
| 1 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Chepstow |
| 2 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Lisburn |
| 3 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Edinburgh |
| 4 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Aldershot |
| 5 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Bulford |
| 1st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums | Aldershot |
| 1st Battalion Irish Guards Pipes and Drums | Hounslow |
| Scots Dragoon Guards Pipes and Drums | Leuchars |
| Royal Dragoon Guards Pipes and Drums | Warminster |
| Queens Royal Hussars Pipes and Drums | Paderborn |
| Royal Tank Regiment Pipes and Drums | Tidworth |
| 19 Regiment Royal Artillery Pipes and Drums | Tidworth |
| Royal Signals Pipes and Drums | Edinburgh |
| 2 Scots Pipes and Drums | Edinburgh |
| 3 Scots Pipes and Drums | Inverness |
| 4 Scots Pipes and Drums | Catterick |
| 1 Royal Irish Pipes and Drums | Tern Hill |
| 1 Royal Gurkha Pipes and Drums | Shorncliffe |
| 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles Pipes and Drums | Brunei |
| 10 Queens Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment Pipes and Drums | Aldershot |
| 3 Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Corps of Drums | Canterbury |
| 3 Royal Welsh Corps of Drums | Cardiff |
| The Honourable Artillery Company Corps of Drums | London |
| 6 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Exeter |
| 7 Rifles Bugle Platoon | Reading |
| 71 Engineer Regiment Pipes and Drums | Leuchars |
| 32 Signals Regiment Pipes and Drums | Edinburgh |
| 7 Scots Pipes and Drums | Perth |
| 2 Royal Irish Pipes and Drums | Lisburn |
| 152 Fuel Supply Regiment Pipes and Drums | Belfast |
| 154 Transport Regiment RLC Pipes and Drums | Dunfermline |
| 102 Battalion REME Pipes and Drums | Newton Aycliffe |
Notes
- Regimental Music Groups are commanded by their respective cap-badges.
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