Royal Marines Association Concert Band

Music Director: Captain E P Whealing MVO BA ARAM ARCM LTCL RM
Band Secretary: Bill Callow

 

In January 2007 the Band travelled to Dover to make their first CD which they called “Once a Marine”. It all went according to plan, except when our veteran tenor player, Fred Wyllie fell over and fractured his pelvis, and finished up in Ashford Hospital.

By October 2007 Fred had regained his mobility and it was decided to make another C.D.with the catchy title “…always a Marine”. Another factor was that the first CD has sold remarkably well and is still in great demand!
Therefore in January 2008 we travelled independently to the Clovelly Recording Company studio in Dover, and it was uncanny that when we stopped at Clackett Lane Service Station (presumably named after Dave Clackett /flute/picc./clart./oboe /tenor sax & PC!) Dave was there, with his harem, well before us!

It was, at first, a little daunting sitting in a relatively small studio with a 50-piece band! However, with good humour and adjustment to the atmosphere, we soon got to work balancing and putting down around 70 minutes of music in two days.

The 10 or 11 hours spent recording went very quickly, and even “Victor Meldrew”, in the “box” seemed pleased with the result. John Perkins and Ken Peers, of Clovelly Recordings, did their usual excellent job of putting us all at our ease and ensuring a good recording.

We played some less familiar material, including a ‘new’ Sousa march entitled Library of Congress March which was apparently incomplete when Sousa died and has now been reconstructed by Stephen Bulla. Not to be forgotten was David Sharp’s (usually oboe) cymbal playing in the last phrase of the Sousa march Hands Across the Sea, which is marked ‘double forte’. He played with such enthusiasm and vigour, that we thought the ceiling would fall in. Fortunately it didn’t, and the producer will no doubt make some subtle adjustments. The CD “Always a Marine” should be available in April, when you can hear the virtuoso cymbal playing for yourself.

Recent engagements for the Band have included a visit to Street in Somerset, to play to a capacity audience in the Strode Theatre, and a repeat booking for 2008 has already been accepted.

To launch the Portsmouth Music Festival in February, the Band gave a Concert, along with the Highbury Area Band, at the Admiral Lord Nelson School in Portsmouth. Future engagement venues include Christchurch (24 February) Yeovil (16 March) Weymouth (20 April) and, of course, our concerts at our base in the Royal Marines Museum on 22 May and 14 September.

If you feel like making contact in 2008 our details are:
Royal Marines Association Concert Band, Building 32, Whale Island, Portsmouth Hants PO2 8ER
Tel: 02392-521505; Email: dom@rmacb.org.uk or visit us online at http:// www.rmacb.org.uk
We rehearse at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney every Thursday evening, 1930 - 2130

Last updated Sept 2008