Capt Richard Harvey MMus BMus(Hons) LRSM AMusTCL RM

Capt Rich Harvey joined the Royal Marines Band Service in 1989 as a solo trombonist, studying under the renowned orchestral trombonist, Albert Thompson. During his time at the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, Kent, Rich was awarded a silver medal by the Worshipful Company of Musicians for winning the Cassel Prize; an annual instrumental competition.

On completion of training in 1991 Rich was drafted to the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command band based at Royal Marines Eastney, and took part in a two month tour of New Zealand to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Royal New Zealand Navy.  In 1994 Rich was selected as principal trombone of Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia band and spent the next three years travelling extensively to countries such as Russia, South Africa, Namibia, the USA and Canada, performing for the Royal Family and other world leaders such as Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela.  Whilst onboard HMY Britannia, Rich performed a solo on live television in Ghana, and also took part in the 1994 Fleet Review and a visit to the Pegasus Bridge in Normandy.

In 1996 Rich completed the Junior Command Course at the Commando Training Centre and over the next few years was extremely busy as the principal trombonist of the Portsmouth Band, with trips to Australia, Nova Scotia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.  Following promotion to Band Corporal and further Command Training, Rich was selected for the 2003 Bandmasters’ Course at the Royal Marines School of Music, Portsmouth, and on successful completion of the course in April 2004 Rich was promoted to Band Sergeant.
In January 2004 Rich became involved with a training band for a local amateur wind band, conducting and training young musicians who wished to progress to the adult band.  This positive experience led Rich to successfully audition for the position of Musical Director of the Southampton Concert Wind Band, (an amateur civilian band with over 50 members), and during his time with them performed extensively in the South of England and took the band on a trip to Bavaria.

In October 2006 Rich was drafted to the Britannia Royal Naval College band, and following promotion to Band Colour Sergeant, he was deployed to Cyprus as part of the Royal Marines Band Service Cyprus Reinforcement Unit; the first time that the RMBS had been deployed in Company Strength.  It was during his time in Cyprus that he learnt of his promotion to Lieutenant and on completion of the Senior Corps Commission course at the Commando Training Centre, Rich was promoted to Captain Royal Marines and appointed Director of Music of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland in July 2007. During his year with the Band, Rich travelled to Norway and Copenhagen, and had the honour of conducting the opening fanfare and march sequence on the 2008 Mountbatten Festival of Music.  Rich also recorded and produced a CD with the Band which featured the vocal talents of several TV personalities and has, to date, raised well in excess of £5,000 for a Manchester based charity.

Rich’s last engagement with the Scotland Band was as the Assistant Director of Music at the Edinburgh Military Festival 2008, and on completion of which he commenced a year’s full time study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, studying conducting with Clark Rundell.  Rich gained his Masters Degree in September 2009 and proudly assumed his appointment as the Director of Music of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Plymouth; an extremely enjoyable ten month spell which included trips to Jersey and Italy.
In July 2010 Rich was drafted back to Portsmouth as the Adjutant of the United Kingdom Medical Group in preparation for an operational tour of Afghanistan on Op Herrick 14.  This 6 month tour commenced in April 2011and saw Rich administering the welfare and discipline of over 500 medics, doctors and nurses, including 40 Royal Marines musicians and buglers from the CTCRM Band. During the tour the United Kingdom Medical Group handled over 2,500 casualties.

On his return to the UK in October 2011 Rich was appointed the Director of Music of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon.

Highlights of Rich’s career so far have been performing at the 1991 FA Cup final, performing as a soloist and conductor at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall and performing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Wessex.  Rich's hobbies include racing motorcycles with North Gloucester Road Racing Club, and running his own racing team- Filthy-Rich Racing, for which he is always looking for sponsorship...

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Last updated 20 Sept 2011