COMMENT

Lieutenant Colonel NJ Grace
BMus(Hons) FLCM LRSM RM
Commandant RMSM
and
Principal Director of Music Royal Marines

I write this article having just returned from a momentous concert in Deal. The Bands from Portsmouth and Collingwood performed at the Deal Memorial Bandstand on Sunday 12 July 2009 to an audience in excess of 10,000 that were gathered on the seafront. Our thoughts are obviously drawn to the outrageous events nearly 20 years ago when 11 members of the Band Service were killed by an IRA terrorist bomb and the reason why we gather each year to rededicate the Memorial Bandstand. However, this concert is a celebration in music for the support the Royal Marines Band Service has had over many years, particularly from the people of Deal and East Kent. The concert seems to grow from year to year and on behalf of the Band Service; I want to take this opportunity to thank the chairman of the Deal Memorial Bandstand John Perkins and his committee for all the hard work in making this concert so successful.

At the concert in Deal I was extremely pleased and honoured to hand over a cheque of £10,000 to the Deal Memorial Bandstand Trust from the total of over £30,000 raised as a result of the ‘Bandies on Bikes” Charity bike ride. This is a remarkable amount of money raised through the goodwill of everyone who took part. Events such as these do not happen without good planning and preparation. I want to thank everyone involved with this charity bike ride, but above all the organising committee, led by Corps Bugle Major WO2 Lee Cullen, for their outstanding efforts.

There are other momentous events to mention and none greater than Beating Retreat by the Massed Bands on Horse Guards Parade at the beginning of June. This was my first major ceremonial event as the Principal Director of Music and it confirmed to me that I must have the best job in the world. There will be plenty written about this great event in this edition of the magazine, but I want to thank everyone who took part, not only for their hard work, but their positive attitude towards the rehearsals and performances. If I had to single one person out for special praise, it would have to be our Corps Drum Major, WO1 Wiggy Whitwham. I have received many letters of praise about Beating Retreat and they all comment about the quality of the music, but above all the choreography that was arguably the most imaginative ever seen on Horse Guards Parade.
During the rehearsals for Beating Retreat, we had the opportunity to say farewell and thank you to two very influential and great supporters of the Band Service. Firstly, Major Garry Robison, who has completed over 3 and a half years as the Commandant General Royal Marines and handed over that role to Major General Andy Salmon OBE at the end of June. General Robison has been a great supporter for the Band Service and after a visit to the School of Music, he witnessed rehearsals for Beating Retreat on Whale Island before presenting operational medals to those who had recently returned from duty in Afghanistan. He was then presented with the traditional leaving gift from the Band Service of an antique military side drum.

With the whole of the Band Service in Portsmouth for Beating Retreat rehearsals we were able to hold a Royal Marines Band Service Regimental Dinner, which has not happened since 2006. We were extremely fortunate to have as our guest of honour, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB ADC who will be retiring from the Royal Navy in July after 42 years service. Admiral Band has been another great supporter of the Band Service and I first got to know him in 1997 when Sir Jonathon was the Captain and I was the Volunteer Band Instructor on HMS Illustrious. For anyone who has served alongside him in any capacity, I think they would agree that he is an absolute pleasure to work for. The way he would speak to junior and senior ranks making those under his command feel totally at ease is a lesson many of us can learn from. It is the personal touch, the small things that often mean a lot. He has been a true champion of the Royal Marines Band Service and he saw the benefits that military music brings to life in the Service, so much so that he became the President of the Royal Navy Volunteer Band Association in 2002 and held that position for six years. On behalf of the Band Service I would wish Sir Jonathon and Lady Sarah all the very best in his well-earned retirement.

Once the dust had settled on Horse Guards Parade the Band Service reconfigured into 5 Bands consisting of 54 ranks each, following the recommendations from the Lean Transformation event of 18 months ago. As a consequence the Royal Marines Band Dartmouth, that had been closed for 12 months to allow for operational duty to Afghanistan, is now relocated to HMS Collingwood in Fareham. This major reorganisation is to ensure that the Royal Marines Band Service is able to provide the most appropriate, effective and efficient musical support to the modern naval service well into the 21st century. Even though the Band has moved away from Dartmouth, the Bands based at HMS Raleigh and CTCRM will, still provide musical support to the College and the town. Additionally, we are waiting for confirmation of the formation of a new Volunteer Band to be based at the Britannia Royal Naval College and I hope to have further news on that later this year.

The Band Service has a special relationship with the town of Dartmouth that was clearly demonstrated when the Royal Marines Band was granted the honour of the Freedom of Entry to the Town of Dartmouth in 2004. Dartmouth gave a very fitting farewell to the Band back in May this year and I had the privilege, on behalf of the Royal Marines Band, to formally hand back the Charter recording the Freedom of Entry to the Town of Dartmouth that will now be held for safe keeping in the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney.

On 16th June 2009, the new Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Collingwood was established in its temporary location at HMS Nelson until all the refurbishment work is completed at the new bandroom site in HMS Collingwood. Works should be completed ready for the band to move in at the beginning of September this year. This is a very historic time for the Band Service and I wish their Director of Music, Major Jason Burcham and the members of the Collingwood Band good fortune as they start a new chapter in the history of the Band Service.

I would like to bid a fond farewell to Lieutenant Matt Klohs and Leading Seaman Esa Douglas from the Royal Australian Navy Band. They have been on an exchange visit to the Band Service for the last 4 months and I hope they have enjoyed their time with us. I would especially like to thank Matt for his work with the Lympstone Band; I know the Band have certainly enjoyed working with him and he has definitely made an impression on everyone who has met him. I hope they have a safe return to Australia and I am sure they will take them with them many happy memories of their time with the Band Service.

Finally, returning to the highly emotional concert on the Deal Memorial Bandstand last Sunday, where it confirmed to me that military music, more than ever, plays a very important role for our servicemen and women of today. Military music not only supports our troops at home and abroad, but there is no better way to demonstrate the troop’s gratitude to the people of this country than through the medium of music. The support the Band Service received 20 years ago from the people of Deal was very special indeed and the best way to say thank you and remember the 11 men who died is to do what we do best! The Band will continue to play on.

Last updated January 2010