Au revoir Lt Col Chris Davis

Lieutenant Colonel C J Davis
OBE BA(Hons) MMus DMA LRAM RM
Commandant RMSM
and
Principal Director of Music Royal Marines

The venue was St Michael's Cave in Gibraltar and as the last note of the music sounded the audience rose as one to salute the final performance in uniform of the retiring Principal Director of Music. The date was the 1st March 2009 and marked the conclusion of a weekend of events, which celebrated the Freedom of Gibraltar given to the Royal Marines in 1996. A week earlier he had concluded perhaps the most successful series of concerts ever staged by the Massed Bands of the Royal Marines at the Royal Albert Hall. Although the venue in Gibraltar was smaller and the concert only featured one Royal Marines Band, the importance and his professional drive for musical excellence from his ensemble, once again shone through. This is a theme that has followed this popular and driven musician throughout his career, with an understanding that performers have a talent and must never take their audience for granted. His bands understood all too well what was expected of them and if they were found out in rehearsal then they knew the consequences. His saying of “we are only as good as our last engagement” rings true in everything he has tried to instil in his musicians: pride for the uniform they wear, and a feeling of belonging to the very best.

Chris joined the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal at the age of 16 on the 9th September 1975 with another 43 ‘startled deer’, including two others who were to serve for in excess of thirty years, Paul Beal and ‘Billy’ Monaghan. The troop quickly immersed itself with life in ‘M’ Wing with running battles (literally) with their friendly neighbours in ‘C’ Wing, fire hoses and broom handles being a favourite line of defence. They were regularly subjected to Swedish PT sessions at the PT School, as guinea pigs for the embryo PTIs, and drill from 0800 to lunchtime. There was music of course with wonderful instructors like Bill McConnel, ‘Dickey’ Dawson, Wally Hart and the ever-watchful Drum Major Andy Crofts. As a violinist and clarinettist his professors were the hard taskmasters of Cyril English and Ken Mettyer. There really wasn’t a lot of time for anything else, perhaps the occasional stroll down the promenade on the weekend to either the pier for a late breakfast or tea and crumpet in the ‘Corner Parlour’. Training was, on the whole, fun and the many experiences learnt in Deal made a lasting impact. He was a member of the football team run by player manager and Bandmaster ‘Johnny’ Goold, whose half time team talks of “it’s a game of two halves” and “never argue with the referee” often saw him sent to the stands. He was a legend to the likes of other team members, John O’Connell, John Payne, Jeff Naylor, Tommy Lawton, Clive Close and ‘Ginge’ Smith. With sponge man Bob Baker, many a Wednesday afternoon was enjoyed in the back of a three tonner en route to some desolate Army barracks in Kent.

On completion of training his first draft was to the Band of the Commander in Chief Naval Home Command at Eastney barracks. Arriving in Easter 1978 his first Director of Music was Captain Graham Hoskins who perhaps saw something in the young musician and appointed him to the Royal Yacht Britannia in August 1978. A Western Isles cruise was the start of a period on board the Royal Yacht which was to last eight years with three different Directors of Music. Once again many influences on how to run a band were gained during this period, with the likes of Brian Peever, Malcolm Kennard, David Hough, Peter Heming and the late ‘Tod’ Slaughter being amongst the early influences. Life in the ‘Barracks’ on board was different and learning important things like collecting your dhoby on time, whilst living very closely with 27 other Mess members certainly concentrated the mind. During the first eight years on board Chris was able to tick off two Royal Honeymoon cruises and trips to Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Mexico. It was in 1982 that Peter Heming brought Colour Sergeant Dick Grainger to the ‘Yacht’ Band as Bandmaster. This was perhaps the most rewarding period of his time on Britannia, which saw her circumnavigate the world in 1982 with a band that is still regarded by many as the best group of musicians to embark on Royal duty.

In 1987 Chris returned to Deal to attend the Bandmasters’ Course under the tutorage of Professors Alan Ramell and Ian Cox. Both gentlemen were different in their approach to academic work, but both able to convert their knowledge into a thorough grounding for the budding student. Indeed it was at Ian Cox’s leaving lunch that he awarded each of his fifty students with certificates of achievement from their time on course; Chris’s certificate read “For the stormiest rehearsals”.

On finishing the course with an LRAM and Worshipful Company Silver Medal for achieving the highest marks, Chris was drafted to RAF Northolt and the Band of the Commander in Chief Fleet. This short period of eighteen months certainly gave Chris an insight into the real ‘Band Service’ and the ‘snotty Yachty’ soon realised that a different approach was required. However, his aspiration for himself and the band that he belonged to, never diminished and he remembers trying to influence young musicians at the time of the likes of Fred Miller and Steve Boyes.

A surprise return in 1989 to Eastney Barracks and a further two years on the Royal Yacht gave Chris the opportunity to try and realize his dream of becoming a Director of Music. It was during a trip to the Far East that the tragic incident at Deal occurred with the loss of so many friends and colleagues. Being so far away from any information and almost detached from reality, these were very dark times. The man who kept the Band together as a unit and got them through the tragedy was undoubtedly the Bandmaster Dick Grainger. Through his leadership and professionalism the Band produced many ad-hoc concerts, which raised money for the Deal Disaster Fund and kept the group on track, a huge task for one man and something that was unfortunately never fully recognised.

Royal Yacht Band 1983

Chris married Helen Draycott in 1990. As a member of the horn section of his local brass band it was inevitable that this blossoming romance would later lead to marriage. They have been married for nineteen happy years and Chris describes Helen as the ‘long haired Colonel’, the true metronome in his life. Two children Jamie and Sarah now make up the family group and they all have active musical interests.

In September 1992 after a short period as leader of the orchestra in Deal, Chris successfully attended an Admiralty Interview Board. In October of that same year he began two years of study at the University of Salford. This was a life changing experience for Chris working alongside the likes of Professors David King, Peter Graham and Lieutenant Colonel Ray Steadman-Allen, being involved with ‘band’ music of the highest quality. This culture of ‘there is music after classical’ is very important. Lieutenant Colonel John Ware began this important relationship with Salford, having seen what was being achieved by what was at that time a non-Premiership institution. Chris’s relationship with the University has lasted throughout and his encouragement of musicians attending the recent Masters programme has seen many go on to achieve very notable results. Dr Robin Dewhurst, the Honorary Musical Advisor to the Royal Marines and member of staff at Salford, is Programme Director for the MA Music (Performance).

After gaining a First Class Honours Degree from Salford, Chris spent a year at Deal as the Assistant to the Principal Director of Music and four months at CTCRM on the Special Duties Officers course. In August 1995 Chris was appointed to the Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland based in HMS Caledonia. This was the ideal place for a young Director of Music to ‘cut his teeth’; it enabled him to develop an understanding of a band and most importantly learn from his mistakes. Perhaps Scotland was the happiest time he spent as a Director of Music, with a quality set of musicians who all strived to achieve the same things. To have the support of a Bandmaster like John Payne who was not frightened to close the door and tell him how it was, rather than tell him what he wanted to hear and a Band Secretary in John Bushell, whose friendship, help, guidance and encouragement made life a lot easier, helped to produce some tremendous and lasting musical performances. A CD recording ‘A Musical Journey’ is a lasting and fitting record of Chris’s time in Scotland and quite rightly stands out as a first-class recording of the Band's musical ability and forward thinking Director. A track from this album was included in the Blue Band Magazine 50th Anniversary CD.

The three years in Scotland concluded in the summer of 1998 and appointment to Staff College at Bracknell with promotion to Captain and a new job as the Director of Music Training at the Royal Marines School of Music now located at Portsmouth. Chris took over a relatively new organization, which had moved from Deal in 1996. One of the most fulfilling parts of the position at the School was the responsibility of taking an individual at audition and seeing that potential fulfilled at the end of three years' training. It is his great joy to see young musicians he took through training now developing as soloists, NCOs and future Directors of Music in their own right. It is the unique training facility and ethos, which stands alone as the template for other organizations (not only in music) to follow.

Chris after conducting the Deal Bandstand Concert in 2006

In 2000 the appointment as Director of Music to the Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth was announced and a return to the band where he began his musical career. This was always going to be a special relationship and one that he was certainly going to enjoy. The appointment was not without its difficulties; running a band of over 80 musicians is a complex and at times a frustrating process. A successful trip to Bangkok and Washington, with many performances at various venues throughout the United Kingdom meant that life was never dull. The joys of a ‘Northern Tour’, staying at the now famous Huddersfield Hotel will live long in the memory five venues starting at Leeds Town Hall on the Wednesday night and finishing on Sunday night at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, a chance to build on performances and team build at the same time.

In June 2002 Chris was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assumed the position of Commandant of the Royal Marines School of Music and Principal Director of Music Royal Marines. Chris makes special mention of the man he replaced, the late Lieutenant Colonel Richard Waterer who he believes, perhaps more than any other during his time in the Band Service, was able to give direction and leadership to take the Band Service into the 21st century. Richard was a man of vision and was able to gain the trust of his superiors to take the Band Service forward, instilling belief and pride throughout the Naval Service. His encouragement and fortitude was the mark of the man, a person who didn’t understand the words ‘it will be difficult’; he was a doer, no matter how difficult the situation.

Chris’s seven years as Principal Director have been busy and at times difficult. He began his custodianship of the Band Service with the Firemen’s strike, a duty, which took 250 musicians and buglers away from their primary role. Iit was often frustrating for everybody; the result was an increase in the numbers submitting their requests for voluntary early retirement and the knock-on effect in loss of personnel. In 2003 Operation Telic necessitated that sixty musicians were deployed onboard RFA Argus as casualty handlers and as decontamination troops with 3 Commando Brigade. These important roles clearly added to the workload of the bands left behind and the pressure placed on normal family life. 2005 saw perhaps the biggest Naval commemoration event, Trafalgar 200, which placed huge demands on the men and women of the Band Service. A major feature that year was the Naval lead at Edinburgh Tattoo with the Band Service portraying in music the Battle of Trafalgar, with as a back drop for the first time, a giant slide show depicting important moments from the battle. The culmination of this busy year was the Beat Retreat alongside HMS Victory on National television, with Her Majesty the Queen lighting the first of many beacons around the country.

In 2006 the Royal Marines performed a Beat Retreat ceremony on Horse Guards Parade for the Captain General, the first in seven years. With over 80% of the Massed Bands performing on Horse Guards for the first time, this was a challenge that was met head-on by an unswerving Principal Director and his Corps Drum Major. Warrant Officer 1 'Wiggy’ Whitwham has been Chris’s right hand man for most of his tenure as Principal Director of Music, keeping a watching brief and playing the lead role in choreographing all the major displays from the Festival of Remembrance, Horse Guards and Edinburgh Tattoo. ‘Wiggy’s’ qualities of leadership, integrity and loyalty are without reproach and have led to many plaudits throughout the seven years of Chris’s period in office.

There have of course been many highlights: the three CD recordings of contemporary wind band music, featuring newly commissioned works by leading British composers. This led to Chris gaining his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Salford and the opportunity to record with NAXOS a CD featuring Dr Nigel Clarke’s music, himself a former Royal Marines musician. This very successful association proved to be another opportunity to demonstrate the wide-ranging talents of the Band Service to a wider musical audience. With violin soloist Peter Sheppard Skaerved the album gave the unique opportunity to record two violin concertos with a professional string ensemble and wind band, The Miraculous Violin and Black Fire. The CD reached number eight in the NAXOS chart for 2007.

Lt Col Chris Davis OBE outside Buckingham Palace

Chris assumed the position of Senior Director of Music on the British Armed Forces in August 2005. He has led many important National events featuring Tri-Service Massed bands, Edinburgh Tattoo 2002, the 60th Anniversary of Victory in Europe and most recently the 90th Anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, with three of the last remaining World War I veterans.

What next for our retiring Principal Director of Music? He hopes to continue to conduct ensembles as a freelance conductor, with particular interest in brass bands. He is a member of the Association of British Brass Band Adjudicators and hopes to explore how more openness can be brought to this ‘black art’. There is also a wish to give something back, to encourage young people to achieve their musical potential, involving himself with summer schools and instrumental teaching. There is also tale of him getting his violin out again and forming a string quartet with former colleague and great friend Peter Best.

Lt Col Chris Davis DMA

Chris’s challenges have been many and varied, whilst attempting to face these challenges in an uncompromising fashion and believing that the Band Service is an organization, which is meeting its operational output in a truly professional manner, whilst at the same time being excellent value for money. He began the appointment with 347 musicians and buglers located in five bands and he retires from the Band Service on the 21 May 2009 with the same number. If he has a legacy then it will be remembered that he has refocused the sights of the Band Service on embracing civilian music through the commissioning of new repertoire of contemporary wind band music. He has also never forgotten the history and important heritage the Band Service has provided over hundreds of years of service, and which it continues to provide the Nation today. His custodianship has been relatively short in historical terms, but it is his passion and flair for musical excellence, coupled with his understanding of the needs of the men and women he has had the honour to lead, which will be remembered.