Au revoir to Major P Watson BA (Hons) BSc LRAM ARCM Royal Marines

Major Philip Watson retired from the Band Service this month after serving 33 years; fourteen of those as a Director of Music. His final appointment as Director of Music to the Portsmouth Band came to an end at Christmas 2006 when he handed the baton to Maj Nick Grace. Philip’s last performance in the Band Service took place at the 2007 Mountbatten Festival of Music.

Jnr Musn P Watson

Early recollections of his time in the Band Service include arriving late on the day he joined up. He was marched at double quick pace, struggling with his suitcase, to the joining office at RM Deal by a very keen and efficient fellow-recruit by the name of Andy Manley; they have remained friends ever since!

The Oboe Class

Studying oboe and piano, Philip also showed an interest in composition and it was during his early training period that he commenced the writing of a piano concerto that was to reach completion some 30 years later. In the meantime, life at the Royal Marines School of Music passed uneventfully enough, settling into the routine of musical practice and getting involved at a local church in his spare time. It was here that he met Lynn, his future wife.

HMS Daedalus was his first posting, as oboist in the FONAC Band although he remembers he spent most of the first summer banging a bass drum! A few months after he joined, the Band relocated to Yeovilton in Somerset where he spent a happy few years: buying a house and settling down with his new wife. Unfortunately, the FONAC Band was destined to close and he was posted to Torpoint to join the Flag Officer Plymouth Band at HMS Raleigh. It was here that his interest in sailing found release and he spent many happy days sailing in Plymouth Sound and up the Tamar and Lyhner rivers. It was also here that his first child, Daniel, was born.

After two years of military and musical courses, Philip then was posted to Portsmouth where he was busy with arranging, composing, and changing nappies on their new baby Hannah, and it was here that he was able to develop his conducting skills from his recent Bandmasters' Course. He enjoyed a brief tour onboard HMY Britannia before becoming the Volunteer Band Instructor at HMS Collingwood; as he says “a most instructive, but enjoyable job”. The freedom he enjoyed as VBI allowed him to gain some sailing qualifications; these he put to good use running sailing expeds for his colleagues.

The dizzy heights of Higher Training was his next posting, giving him time to develop his instructional skills between changing nappies on their third child, Lydia! From here he was commissioned and promoted to Lieutenant in 1993. He attended the Special Duties course at the CTCRM for four months before returning to Deal to take up his first appointment as Assistant Director of Music Training. This only lasted a short period as he moved to Salford University to take a degree in Band Musicianship.

Lt P Watson, Director of Music BRNC meets HRH The Queen

On completion of his studies he returned to Deal as Assistant Director of Music of the Deal Band. He was there at the closure of the barracks, after which he moved with his family to Dartmouth to become DoM of the Britannia Royal Naval College Band. This was to become the family home. Lynn and Phil enjoyed the baby boom year of 1997 with the birth of their youngest, Julia.

Two years at the RMSM as DOM(T) and then his final appointment as Director of Music to the Portsmouth Band completed his career in the Band Service.

Philip’s musical roots go back to playing with various school and youth orchestras before he joined the Band Service. Possibly because of this, orchestral music has always been his first love and he marks some highlights in his career as being those times when he has conducted the orchestra. In particular, his time at Dartmouth saw a number of successful, if possibly ambitious, concerts featuring favourite repertoire. He says, “Orchestral playing teaches so much to wind band players; it teaches them phrasing, ensemble control and balance. The band is always on a musical ‘high’ after an orchestral concert.” Another highlight at this time was performing the Elgar Cello Concerto with the soloist Jane Oliver. This was an experience still talked about, and later on Jane performed with the RMSoM orchestra in a performance of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto under his baton.

Finally getting his Piano Concerto played was also a great experience, and he is indebted to the Piano Professor, Rob Douglas, not only for two amazing performances, but also for the invaluable advice given in its final drafts.

Major Watson in Paris with Portsmouth Band

His final four years as Director of the Portsmouth Band fulfilled all his expectations and he acknowledges that he owes such pleasant memories to the wonderful people he worked with in the Band during this time.

“The Service offers a great deal and so much is there for the taking; it just requires a little effort.” Philip has been very fortunate to be able to indulge in his interest of sailing to a high level, although he stresses that he is a cruising sailor, not a racer. He achieved his Yachtmaster Ocean ticket last year, which will be very useful in his future plans. More recently he has become a keen sea canoeist, and has enjoyed participating in this hobby, mainly with Ian ‘Taff’ Davies, who, as he says “is as mad as I am”, and who he plans at some time in the future to canoe around the UK with. Other hobbies and sports have included achieving a relatively high grade in Judo, building a yacht and two canoes, being a School Governor, and being actively involved as a Christian in the various churches he has attended. His faith in God is the most important thing in his life. He says that Jesus Christ can give a joy and peace that he hasn’t found anywhere else.

Philip has some ambitious plans for retirement. He is taking his family out to join their yacht ‘Pumpkin’ (pictured right) in the Philippines. From there he will sail via the South Pacific Islands and New Zealand, to Australia where he will visit his brother and some old friends. He then plans to sail back to the UK via Cape Town, although as he points out, there is no real time constriction.

The paddle around mainland Britain may happen when he returns. Then he will get involved again with his local Baptist Church in Dartmouth and seek some outlet for his music.

Philip has had an outstanding career in the Royal Marines Band Service and has had a profound affect on all who have had the privilege to serve with him or under his Command. We wish him well in his retirement.

You will be able to follow the Watsons as they travel on the world wide web at http://www.watsonatsea.co.uk

Home for the Watsons, Pumpkin