RN Volunteer Band HMS Nelson

BdCSgt D Scott BMus(Hons) PGDip ARCM CTABRSM RM

Greetings from HMS Nelson Volunteer Band; since our last article the Band has had a very busy summer term.

Engagements

We started off the term with the Corps of Drums and their annual trip to Royal Tunbridge Wells for the Lord Taverners St. George's Day Charity Luncheon. As usual the boys were in high spirits with Melvin getting most of the flak all the way there. The mess beatings were as always, professionally executed and received a standing ovation from the great and good from professional sport. We managed to get back in time to Portsmouth for a visit from the Second Sea Lord who I invited to view a typical band rehearsal. He left £15 poorer as the girls from the band sweet talked him into sponsoring them for the Race for Life.

The Band had the honour of playing at a 25th Wedding anniversary garden party for the Commodore of the Naval Base and his lovely wife. They had set up a marquee in the garden of Spithead House for the Band from where we entertained all of the guests. The only downside to the afternoon was they had also hired a piper to play either side of our sets. (You can’t win them all!)

We were asked to play at a Junior Guest Night dinner over at HMS Excellent; after the usual running around getting names to play in the Band and organising the transport we all pitched up on the Friday night to be told by the Mess Manager that they weren’t expecting a band that evening (Right/Left hands had sprung to mind). We set up anyway and then found out that there were more people in the Band than guests dining (the joys of the Volunteer Band).

Dartmouth Divisions

It started with a passing mention by the Corps Bandmaster last November. Do you fancy doing a gig? Luckily for me Egor BdCSgt Mark Phillips (VBI HM Naval Base Devonport) took the lead and organised it. So there we were, the lucky 15 from Nelson and Collingwood leaving at the unearthly hour of 0515am. The trip down to Dartmouth was mostly uneventful apart from the driver taking the wrong road after Exeter services. He told me that he was only following the Sat Nav! We eventually arrived and the Band formed up for the rehearsal on the Friday afternoon. Unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and the Band were only in shirt sleeve order in the wind and the rain. Our only consolation was watching the Officer Cadets attempting to march and getting shouted at by the drill staff.

The following day the weather cleared and the sun heated up the parade ground for what seemed to me a very long Divisions!

My thanks must go to Egor for organising the whole event and for getting through the many alerts and drum ruffles.

Band Festival

When I was first offered the draft to become the Volunteer Band Instructor at HMS Nelson no one told me how much work there is in organising this event. You try and plan many months in advance the accommodation and security passes, but inevitably the best laid plans always go for a ball of chalk, and this year's festival was no exception. I just want to thank all of the other VBI’s for putting up with me for sometimes leaving snotty messages on their answer phones telling them; no, there is no more accommodation in HMS Nelson!
My band worked very hard in the months leading up to the Festival, giving up their free time for extra rehearsals. We didn’t win anything but I was very proud of each and every one of them for making the Band sound so professional!

Leavers/Joiners

In the last few months we have had a few people leave the Band for one reason or another which is always sad to see; as we are a Volunteer Band sometimes when a person leaves it is very difficult to fill that same position. Thankfully new people have joined, particularly in the woodwind sections as the Band was starting to get a bit top heavy with brass. I want to extend a warm welcome to all those new Band members and hope you enjoy your volunteer banding experience.

A Good-Bye From Me

Well this is it, after 18 months of running around organising festivals, lumping stand bags and mediating peace conferences with the Corps of Drums I’ve finally been given my own marching orders to re-join the Royal Marines Band Portsmouth in September. I must admit I was very nervous at the beginning; it was the fear of the unknown I suppose; could I actually conduct a band! But I just want to say that the last 18 months have been the most fulfilling of my career.

I want to thank my Band Officer, Commander Bug Wrightson who has supported me these last 8 months and whose Bass Trombone playing nearly rivals that of BdCSgt Paul Bateman of the Portsmouth Band. Thanks Bug.

Last and by no means least to every member of the Volunteer Band and Corps of Drums, thank you for making my time so enjoyable; it has been an absolute pleasure being the Bandmaster of this fine band.

Last updated January 2010