Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland

Director of Music: Captain J Ridley BMus(Hons) MMus(Perf) LRSM AMusTCL Royal Marines
Bandmaster: WO2 S Tripp BMus(Hons) LRSM AMusTCL CT ABRSM RM
Drum Major: Sgt Bug C Brown RM

Greetings & salutations! From a bleak, cold and persistently wintry Scotland, RM Band Scotland would like to wish one and all a very happy New Year!

Since our last offering we are happy to inform you that Scotland Band ranks Musn’s Jon Park and Warren Lyndsay who, alongside other men & women of the Royal Marines Band Service have been supporting operations in Afghanistan, have returned back home safely albeit a little hairier! We now send our best wishes to Cpl Bug Graham Stephenson and BdCSgt Jos Tiley and indeed to the rest of the guys who began their 3-month deployment there in early January.

Having served in Plymouth Band and now Scotland it has always seemed to be the case that, probably more than at any other period throughout the calendar year, the months of December, January and February deliver the greatest diversity in terms of the projects and activities members of the bands become involved with. Whilst December is often a hive of musical activity, January typically offers skiing and shooting opportunities (not at the same time, although if bandy were to ever pursue biathlon I dare say he would be a dab hand) and February, of course, has always seen our attentions focus towards the annual event that is The Mountbatten Festival of Music, held at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall in London.

These past three months have been no exception and in December Scotland Band, for the most part, rested lips and concentrated, with all of the grit and determination (not to mention enthusiasm) that one could muster, on fiddling and bowing. Yes, the infamous Orchestra of HM Royal Marines Scotland formed once more, collaborating with choirs from local schools for a succession of charity fundraising concerts at the imposing Dunfermline Abbey; a building steeped in history that can trace its roots back to 1070.
The Abbey was formed by Queen Margaret who had married the King of Scotland, Malcolm III, in Dunfermline in 1070. She liked Dunfermline so much that she set up a religious community there, bringing in Benedictine monks to form its core. Queen Margaret is thought to have been born in what is now Hungary. It is also thought that Margaret, the great niece of Edward the Confessor, fled to Scotland after her brother Edgar the Atheling, the Anglo Saxon heir to the throne, was excluded from English succession by William I.
To allow her to feel more at home, Malcolm III decreed that the language of the court should be Saxon as opposed to Gaelic.

The building itself is equal to the fascinating history that it houses and provides an evocative backdrop for the annual Christmas concert series. The concerts once again were hugely popular and successfully raised in excess of £4000 for a number of charitable causes.

After a well earned and much welcome Christmas break RM Band Scotland exchanged fiddles for combat boots and rifles and took to the ranges for another bout of military training.

The shooting package was very slick, aided considerably by a computer that allowed you to see exactly how far away and in which direction you were missing! Weather conditions also favoured shooting and although it was bitterly cold there was no wind, giving us the best possible chance and ensuring that we were all able to successfully and swiftly complete the range package and get back onto the bus.

Upon completion of shooting we ventured en masse towards the mighty Pentland hills and were duly put to the test with a series of navigational challenges. All survived the exercise although three became poorly after consuming the peculiarly conceived sandwich spread of tikka flavour tuna that had bamboozled its way into our ration packs.

Lt Col Chris Davis, recently retired Principal Director of Music visited us a couple of weeks ago, partly to rehearse a few bits for the forthcoming Mountbatten Festival of Music but mostly to enjoy several farewell drinks with the Band he fondly once helmed as Director of Music; his first band as a commissioned officer in the Royal Marines Band Service.

The evening was the 26th January: Chinese New Year. We, of course, were celebrating Burns Night and in traditional fashion a banquet of Haggis, Neeps & Tatties was served; poetry etc. was performed by the Scottish contingency within RM Band Scotland; dancing was enjoyed by all to the sounds of an authentic ceilidh band and copious amounts of wine, ale and whisky were consumed (just ask the Corps Bandmaster!).
BdCpl Paul ‘Piggy’ Farmer, Musn Victoria Beaton & Bug Damien Challis deserve a special mention at this point for organising a fantastic evening’s entertainment. Thanks guys.

On behalf of Scotland Band, I’d also like to pass on our best wishes to Lt Col Chris Davis on his retirement.
Performing in another genre, February also saw the Dance band hit the road on a Public Relations Tour with WO2 Ian Davies. Whilst the rest of the country was knee high in snow the eight piece Dance Band departed Rosyth at the unearthly hour of 6.00am. The tour started at Culloden Academy in Inverness with a presentation by WO2 Davies and a performance to a packed audience of music students. As ever BdCpl Brian Lloyd picked a varied programme with music from Amy Winehouse and Scouting for Girls to the old favourite, not to be left out of any pussers Dance Band set, The Blues Brothers. A quick pack down and move after lunch, via the ice cream parlour, took us to Milburn Academy for a further presentation and performance.

The rest of the week carried on in the same vein with us visiting Dingwall Academy which included a Dance Band workshop with the music students, Montrose Academy and finally Waid Academy in Ansrtuther, home of the best fish and chip shop in Great Britain. Highlights of the trip included Musn Burbery and Musn Burton’s mannequin leg guitars and also some rather strange dancing from a couple of Montrose Academy pupils.
Our thanks must go to the staff of all five schools that looked after us, even providing Musn Sol Fenne with some much needed sustenance in the form of tea and toast. Also our thanks go to the recruiters from the Dundee and Inverness Armed Forces Careers Offices for their assistance and good sense of humour.

On a sporting note, mention should go to the four of us who are part of the RM Band cycling team that will embark on a 360 mile ride in memory of Major John Kelly & Cpl Andy Thompson who both tragically passed away last year. After meticulous planning we have struggled to do very much (blaming it on icy roads and a puncture!) but promise to be fit for the event.

Musn Molly Singleton, Bug Heather Ford and BdCpl Shona Swanson (ski instructor) have enjoyed a successful Navy Ski Championships, held for a second year running at the resort of Les Menuires in the French Alps.

And finally congratulations are due for BdCSgt Tim Watson who, as part of the Royal Marines team, won the RN Cross Country Championships at HMS Raleigh in somewhat familiar wind, rain and mud for this totally unique course. Well done!

Andy Mears

Last updated January 2010