Royal Marines School of Music Training Company

Director of Music: Major MP Dowrick RM
Bandmaster: WO1 MP Grace LRSM AMusTCLRM
Drum Major: Sgt Bug G Scollick RM

A word from the wing

Welcome to another year at the School of Music. After saying goodbye to all of the newly passed out M3’s before summer leave we welcomed Troop 1/08 as the newest addition to the Band Service. The first engagement of the term was a Beat Retreat alongside the ever-formidable HMS Victory for the SBS reunion dinner. Attending the dinner as a VIP was Princess Anne, making this the first Royal gig for the majority of the Band. This turned out to be the start of quite a busy term with the Band Service Reunion next on the cards. The display was ‘high-tech’ with coloured lights and a video to accompany the theme from the TV series ‘Warship’. Everyone present seemed to enjoy it and the PDM commented on the high levels of professionalism displayed by all involved.

As well as Divisions over at HMS Sultan a number of ranks had TV appearances with Lympstone Band during their performance in the Lord Mayor’s Parade through the streets of London. A thoroughly enjoyable if somewhat damp day was had by all. On the very same day the School’s own Musn Gregory could been seen live on prime time TV, shredding some guitar to Rocky with Portsmouth Band at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall.

Early October saw fifteen ranks accompanied by Cpl Bug Christopher, Cpls Nicholls & Hunt (the Unit Drill Instructor) and CSgt Hope (the Unit PTI) head off to Plymouth for the inter-Band Service rugby tournament, the Holland Bowl. Having come second… from bottom overall and with only one serious injury to our names (Musn Hemmings) we returned to work in good spirits, if a little sore.

Elsewhere, Professor Gordon Campbell has taken the Big Band out and about with the sounds of Glen Miller echoing around St. Mary’s Church in Portsmouth as part of a joint concert with Portsmouth Band’s Concert Band.

Haloween at the School of Music

It hasn’t been all work and no play though (even if it does often feel that way) as Halloween was observed with a spooky social. Everyone dressed up for the occasion with vampires, ghosts, ghouls and mummies galore. However, it was Musn Hurley’s imaginative pumpkin based costume that won her the prize for best dressed. Entertainment was provided by our Ceilidh Band, ‘The Rumbling Gussets’ with other fun in the form of apple bobbing and a piñata. Imaginative costumes were also seen for the Squeegee Parade Band to raise money for Children in Need. Costumes ranged from Star Wars characters to just Speedos and armbands and it may have been commented by the Drum Major that some of us appeared to have made considerably more effort than we do on normal parade band mornings.

The Children in Need Squeegee Band march around the Naval Base

This term also saw the first Section Commanders' Course of the year being run by BdCSgt Luford heading up the team of instructors. It was an interesting and informative week designed to educate us in the qualities and skills required of a leader. With details ranging from taking drill lessons and giving presentations to laying out and having kit musters inspected it was a varied week with the highlight, agreed by all, being the command tasks at HMS Collingwood, an afternoon of seemingly ludicrous tasks designed to test each candidate's leadership skills under pressure. Musn Hemmings was once again the only casualty of the day when he was forced to take a swim whilst trying to man a makeshift raft across some oggin. The end of the course saw some new additions to the hierarchy at the School with two new Section Commanders being appointed. Bugler Horner and Musn Bowditch became the first members of Troop 1/07 to get appointed as Section Commanders having both excelled on the course.

The week commencing 17th of November was a busy one with the New Entry Troop finally leaving the joys of Basic Training behind to join the School and the first set of auditionees turning up for their week of ‘rabbit caught in headlight’ syndrome. On top of all of this we heard a great set of M3 recitals, one of which being Musn Page who entertained us all with his assortment of pots and pans.

It was a sombre moment as we waved goodbye to an old friend, as Musn Spratt has left the Band Service. Yet there is no time to linger in this job it would seem, as some last minute rehearsals for the fast approaching Denmead concert, conducted by the M1 candidates, take precedence. Beyond this the School's Christmas Concert (Winter Concert 4) is also just around the corner which will see a lot of Training Company venturing out into the public eye with a string instrument in hand for the very first time, and hopefully not the last. Naturally time has been made for the planning of the Christmas Social (some might argue the single most important event on our calendar at present) which everyone is looking forward to as a chance to let their hair down after a very busy and successful term.

Musn King & Musn Salmon

FA2 Course/Pre Joining Training

The 24th November saw the senior terms of the School of Music begin their two weeks of PJT. After a delay with the coaches we finally arrived at HMS Excellent all booted and spurred in CS95, ready for our first aid course. The course was made up of a mix of theory and practical lessons followed by a set of exams at the end of the week. Upon arrival we were greeted by our course instructors, Jo and Woody, and the PowerPoint began! Throughout the week Woody’s rather odd sense of humour provided us with an endless source of entertainment and kept a smile on all our faces.

The Wednesday afternoon saw all the members of the course take turns in being an active casualty. This gave us all a chance to get covered in blood and scream at the top of our voices while getting an insight into the kind of situation we may have to deal with on operations. Musn Joe Darby won the prize for most audible sound effects with her partner wishing they could place the bolster bandage somewhere else! We all left the course at the end of the week with a refreshed and working knowledge of the medical role we could be expected to carry out. Many thanks go to the course instructors.

We are now all looking forward to a week with the military training team on the ranges at Longmoor.

Musn Carter

Visitors…

The Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioners complete with their famous scarlet uniforms were treated to a day out in Portsmouth and the RMSoM Open Day. The day began with a VIP tour around HMS Victory and they were invited into the Chiefs' Mess for a tot or two! They then had a buffet lunch at RMSoM courtesy of the Blue Band Magazine, then were taken to the RMSoM Open Day at the Guildhall Square in Portsmouth. Here they watched the whole concert and the Beating Retreat and Sunset Ceremony afterwards - they even got an impromptu standing ovation from the assembled crowd in the Guildhall Square.

Befor the Beat Retreat


The pensioners oin HMS Victory

Then they were treated to a complimentary three-course meal at the Royal Maritime Club before returning to the Royal Hospital Chelsea that evening complete with souvenirs and RMBS CDs from the Blue Band.
A fabulous day was had by all of the Chelsea Pensioners who included a Kwai Bridge POW veteran and one of the first Spean Bridge Commandos. I would like to convey special thanks to WO2(AQMS) Graham Robertson REME and the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (Arborfield) for providing the transport, HMS Victory for the VIP tour, our very own Blue Band Magazine for providing lunch and refreshments throughout the day, Mr James Pinney (RMSoM Concert Manager) and finally the Royal Maritime Club for their generosity in giving the Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioners their evening meal and rounding off a wonderful day out in Portsmouth.

RMSoM Corps of Drums

Throughout this past term the RMSoM Buglers' Grot has been quite busy with more than its fair share of events. First of all, congratulations are in order to Buglers Crossley and Pessol as they both got married (to separate people), and another congratulations to Bugler Pessol on the birth of her “thin-red-line” daughter Molly Rose. This term has been a busy one and a good experience for us all with gigs such as a Royal Beat Retreat outside HMS Victory for Princess Anne, an RNPT onboard HMS Illustrious, the last ever Mess Beatings in the current HMS Excellent Senior Rates' Mess for Trafalgar Night and of course the Band Service Reunion.

We also played a marching Band for HMS Nelson, raising money for Children in Need, wearing silly-rig. We even managed to put a smile on Drum Major Scollick’s face with the Buglers' excellent “Star Wars costumes” (even Jabba the Hutt, Paine).

The Grot has been getting fairly crowded with six new Buglers who have just passed their Initial Military Training. We would like to welcome them and wish them success in their forthcoming musical training.
We would also like to congratulate Cpl Bug Hawkins on successfully passing his CRNB(I) course, (GAS, GAS and GAS!)

Good luck goes out to Buglers Trowbridge and Cartwright for their B3 Exam and their Grade 8 external exam. Finally I would like to say a big well done to Buglers Trowbridge and Kidd for winning the game of football in their Royal Marines advert which you may have seen on the television recently. “How many Royal Marines Commandos can you see?” (Obviously none, ‘cos them were Buglers!)

Bugler Tomkins.

Last updated April 2009