Coda

The Supply Officer Music Department

The Supply Officer (Music) Department consists of the main Musical Instrument Store, the Central Music Library and an Instrument Workshop. These three areas ensure the main supply of all instruments, music and repair for all the musical services required by the Royal Marines Band Service. It also provides a full scale supply and re supply for all its needs, ranging from Tubas to Piccolos and music stands to woodwind reeds.

The Central Music Library has a comprehensive catalogue with almost thirty thousand titles as diverse as military marches to orchestral symphonies. It purchases all music for use in the Royal Marines Band Service.

The instrument Workshop repairs all brass, strings and woodwind instruments to professional standards. It also consists of a drum repair shop for the upkeep and repair of the Corps of Drums and percussion equipment.

A separate element of the department is the production and distribution of the Blue Band Magazine. This is the journal of the Band Service and consists of articles, information and correspondence from both past and present members of the Royal Marines Band Service.

The Bands

After serving in your first band for a period, you might decide to transfer to one of the others and experience even more of the variations which exist in the Band service. They are yours for the taking. In joining the Royal Marines Band Service you would be continuing a tradition of military music which stretches back to the 16th century. However it was in 1767 that divisional bands were first raised on a formal footing. These grew steadily in strength. Until 1930 there were four such bands - Chatham, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Deal. In 1930 the band at Deal was disbanded and in 1950 the Chatham division band was also disbanded.

The original Royal Marines Band Service with it's Headquarters, the Royal Navy School of Music was founded in 1903. It's purpose was to provide continuous service bands and musicians for the Royal Navy. The job of forming the school was given to the Royal Marines, and from then on the Band Service became an integral part of the Corps.

Until 1930 the home of the Band Service was Eastney Barracks, Portsmouth, when it was transferred to Royal Marines Depot at Deal in Kent. After the outbreak of world war II the Band Service frequently moved home to Malvern, The Isle of Man, then Scarborough, on to Burford, and back to Deal in 1950. In that same year the group Bands were amalgamated with the Royal Naval School of Music to form today's Royal Marines Band Service. The Headquarters and training establishment were renamed the Royal Marines School of Music. In 1996 the Royal Marines School of Music moved to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth.