Royal Marines School of Music Higher Training
Course Officer Major J Burcham BMus(Hons) MMus(Perf) LRSM AMusTCL RM
Academic Professor Dr EA LeGrove BMus(Hons) MPhil EdD FRCO (CHM) PGCE
Chief Instructor WO2 A Williams BMus(Hons) LRSM AMusTCL RM
Academic Instructor BdCSgt J Morrish LRSM AMusTCL ATCL(Perf) RM
Having been shown the coffee boat shopping list, we were given the tour of our new home and are now able to say hello and welcome to the Higher Training page! The six previous inhabitants of this esteemed establishment have secured their batons for transit, weighed anchor from the home port of Bandmaster Training and set sail for their new assignments. All of them were successful on the course, achieving some great results, and they are now in various places: BdSgt Pete Woffenden is now the Academic Instructor in Plymouth Band; BdCSgts Karl Long and Tom Crane are now the Volunteer Band Instructors at HMS Collingwood and RNAS Yeovilton (read their pages for details!); BdSgt Jules Cook is now passing on his knowledge in the RMSoM; and our two Omani friends have returned home for some well-deserved leave before their next assignments. Many congratulations to them all, and best wishes for the future from all of us.
There are just three students on the Bandmasters’ Course this year; BdSgts Dave Edwards, Adrian Breen and Sam Hairsine. We’ve spent a bit of time with each other over the past year already, having done our Senior Command Course and M1s together, and it’s a real privilege to be able to embark on this course. As always, it’s been busy! So far we have undertaken Bandmastership 1 (which consists of transcribing a show tune for Wind Band with just the aid of a CD), we’ve composed a fanfare and have also taken the Grade 8 theory exam. This is a civilian qualification from the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music; in fact a great deal of what we do is accredited by outside agencies. As well as learning as much as our brains will take, there has also been a conducting assessment, aural exam, Viva Voce exam, scoring exam, elements of music exam and a meat raffle.
We’ve started music history in the Middle (Ages) and are now at the beginning (of tonality). Having gone back to Bach, we’ll try to get a Handel on the Baroque (…don’t fix it) and in the future we’ll get to the Present Day and maybe study some contemporary composers who have recently passed away. The pace of life in Higher Training is brisk but the level of tuition is second to none, with facilities that are the envy of many educational establishments. CSgt John Morrish has been extremely busy administering the Degree programme, which is of vital importance to those who wish to further their musical studies in the RMBS, and he’s also managed to get us some very ‘Gucci’ (nice) new kit. We video just about every conducting session we have, and can now watch ourselves back from anywhere in Hampshire on the amazing new flat-screen television. As well as being able to berate ourselves in High Definition we can access a massive amount of music on the new internet-based music resource that provides us with a valuable tool when carrying out research, and can stream any number of different recordings for us to listen to. It also plays CDs. The new IT has been made available through charitable monies and we would like to thank the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Band Service Amenities Fund for their support. The new facilities are a great leap forward and are helping us no end.
The rest of the term holds a great deal in store for us. We are going to be taught an awful lot more, take a few more exams (in the best teach-and-test tradition) and are being given the opportunity to qualify at DipABRSM level in direction whilst taking our end-of-term conducting exam. We’re currently working on our own orchestral compositions, Bandmastership 2 and have the next scoring and aural exams looming large on the horizon. At the end of the month we’ll travel to Sherbourne to take part in the conducting summer school there, but before that we have an amazing opportunity to take part in a Tri-Service concert at Kneller Hall. Kneller Hall is the Royal Military School of Music, and this year their annual summer concert is being expanded to include our School of Music Band, as well as the Band of the Coldstream Guards and the Band from RAF Cranwell. We’re very much looking forward to getting our teeth into some different repertoire and working with those fine musicians. A ‘Purple Pageant’ indeed.
The 2011 Bandmasters' Class: L-R: WO2 Ashley Williams, Sgts Adrian Breen, Sam Hairsine and Dave Edwards
Speaking of repertoire, we have the Winter Concert series to look forward to, where we’ll be conducting some challenging but very accessible repertoire that will be a test for us, a delight for the audience and hopefully stimulating for the Band as well. During the series we’ll be rehearsing and conducting a wide range of music from both the Concert Band and Orchestral catalogue. We’ll be doing our best to make the music what it can be, and with the fantastic Bands that we’re privileged to conduct we’ll be part of some great concerts. We must give our thanks publicly for the Bands’ patience and resolve in the face of our uncertainty.
Higher Training continues to provide the very highest standard of musical training in all respects to potential Bandmasters in the Royal Marines Band Service and we also look forward to receiving the next M1s course next term. Our thanks must go to Dr Liz le Grove, WO2 Ash Williams and CSgt John Morrish for their tuition and endless patience, boundless enthusiasm and making sure that we carry on our journey on the vast learning curve that is the Bandmasters’ Course. It is a real pleasure to be here.
B1 Course
It was a cold and frosty morning in late January 2011 when four unsuspecting Corporal Buglers entered the newly re-furbished B1/B2 suite at the Royal Marines School of Music; where this was to become their home for the next twelve weeks.
Before we knew it the Corps Bugle Major and Bugle Major Portsmouth burst through the door with what could only be described as the entire year’s stationery budget for Her Majesty’s Forces. Having been given a whole two hours to settle in we were straight in to our Initial Performance Assessments and were all relieved to be given reassuring feedback on our preparation for the course. This gave us confidence for what looked to be a very intense twelve week course.
The following day we visited Higher Training and the newly appointed Instructors (WO2 Bdmr Ash Williams and BdCSgt Johnny Morrish) gave us another set of assessments in aural, elements, harmony and music history to gauge our level of understanding. Results were mixed and it became apparent that a lot of hard work was needed to reach the required standard.
Crispian Steele-Perkins (virtuoso natural trumpet player) and Bob Armstrong (highly respected drum teacher) presented master classes at the School, both of which were of huge value. Their insights into areas such as technique and performance really helped us with our preparations for the Practical Performance exams. Later in the course we were also treated to a performance of “Stomp” at the Ambassador’s theatre in London, which was both entertaining and inspirational.
The B1 course was structured in such a way that at each stage we were able to focus on specific aspects of the curriculum, allowing us to develop key subjects which included transcription, weekly studies, self-critiques, assignments, sight reading, file management, service writing, course project updates, history, harmony, aural, elements, viva voce, rehearsal technique, Corps of Drums drill, compositions, instrumental lessons, conducting and plate spinning (CBM). All of these were taught, monitored and assessed throughout the course, culminating in a final viva voce examination during week 11 which allowed us to ‘down-load’ our accumulated knowledge and understanding. Helen and Russ were then able to prepare for their ABRSM diploma recitals which took place at RMSoM on the final Saturday of the course and we wish them (and Cpl Tom Charnley) luck with the results.
The final week of the course began with the presentations of our Special Subject Investigations before visiting the Royal Albert Hall during MFM rehearsals in order to put our B1 Course Projects to the test. Whilst it was an extremely intensive (and stressful) day, we found it very rewarding and learnt some valuable lessons regarding engagement management and leadership.
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The B1 Course present Major Thornhill with a few reminders of them on completion of their course
All our hard work and preparation was rewarded with three superior and one distinguished pass and Helen is to be congratulated for coming top of the course and being presented the Herbert Lott award. The B1 course has been a demanding twelve weeks; however, it has more than equipped us with all the tools we need to become effective and motivated SNCOs within the Royal Marines Band Service.
Mind how you go!
Helen, Caleb, Jim & Russ
Diplomas
By BdCSgt R Hunt RM
Having ‘flukily’ taken a couple of half-decent snaps at this summer’s RMSoM Open Day in Portsmouth’s Guildhall Square, I was asked (as the only member of the Band Service available, perhaps) to be the photographer at this year’s RM Band Service reunion. I video recorded the bold Beat Retreat and Concert display and then proceeded to the Senior Rates’ Bar in HMS Nelson to photograph past and present ‘Bandies’ in various states of social activity.
What might have been regarded by many as a “stitch up”, proved to be a great way of meeting and chatting to more groups of ex-RM ‘Bandies’ than I would otherwise have done. One such group included (Captain) Terry Freestone, a former Director of Music, Royal Marines.
He asked me to write an article for the Blue Band explaining the variety of musical diplomas which can be awarded to RM Band Service personnel. It wasn’t quite delivered as an order, but after playing the ‘P0’ (pea-zero) game, I felt obliged to obey, so here is a (far from exhaustive) explanation of some diplomas currently available.
Usually, diplomas can be awarded at three levels, represented by the first letter of each acronym; namely A, L and F, representing Associate, Licentiate and Fellowship respectively. The last few letters indicate the college which awarded the diploma. For example, TCL is Trinity College London (which has recently merged with Guildhall to become Trinity Guildhall) RCM is the Royal College of Music and RSM stands for Royal Schools of Music. Hence, the LRSM indicates a Licentiate diploma from the Royal Schools of Music. Occasionally, people will choose to indicate the area in which they received their diploma. For instance, an LRSM could be awarded in instrumental performance, ensemble direction (conducting) or teaching. The CT ABRSM, for example, clarifies that it is a Certificate of Teaching from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
It should also be pointed out that normally the ‘lowest’ level of diploma is a prerequisite for a more advanced level, and that once a higher level is achieved it supersedes the previous one.
Diplomas and RMBS qualifications
On completion of the M1 Course, which musically qualifies candidates to be promoted to Band Sergeant, all successful students are strongly encouraged to take the DipABRSM (in Wind Band direction) to complement their conducting studies. Most candidates gain this diploma and it stands them in good stead for a future Bandmasters’ Course, a course which, civilian-wise, culminates in the LRSM diploma in directing. The Bandmaster students also take the AMusTCL examination in term two of their year-long course, which is a theory diploma. The FRSM is currently being incorporated into the new Director of Music syllabus.
Furthermore, all those studying on the BMus(Hons) degree programme will be aware that LRSM level in performance is their standard goal when approaching the final level of their degree package. Of course, obtaining diplomas isn’t necessarily done in line with promotional courses and the degree programme, with many recruits having performance diplomas to their name before they even leave training.
I feel it should also be pointed out that academic diplomas and awards are only one way of measuring someone’s success in any given position. As the old saying goes, “you’re only as good as your last gig”. I had the pleasure of working with Michael (“Dusty”) Miller during my first couple of years in Portsmouth Band. As many will know, he was (and still is!) a superb clarinet player and I learnt so much from him; yet he had no diplomas, and, if my memory serves me correctly, no musical exam grades beyond Grade 3!
However, the importance of academic and performance based diplomas, and the studying which precedes these exams, should not be underestimated. Working towards and achieving success in exams is one very tangible way of improving musical awareness and aptitude and will continue to strengthen the Royal Marines Band Service’s reputation as a practical and intelligent organisation, with internal examinations which have direct parallels with diplomas from highly regarded musical institutions of the civilian world.
Russ
Last updated 13 December 2011
