Warrant Officer Bandmaster Don Lloyd BMus(Hons) LRSM CTABRSM ATCL RM

Warrant Officer 2 Don Lloyd left Oakmead School for Boys, Bournemouth in June 1976. The following September Don joined the Royal Marines School of Music at Deal, Kent as a Bassoonist. He passed out from training a term early, in December 1978, and was posted to Staff Band as the Principal Bassoon.

In the 1980s Don served with Band of HM Royal Marines Commando Forces and the Band of HM Royal Marines Commander-in-Chief Fleet; his next appointment was to return, as the Bassoon Instructor, to the Royal Marines School of Music, Deal.

In 1994 he was drafted to HMS Daedalus as the Volunteer Band Instructor. HMS Daedalus closed in 1996 and Don moved across the water to Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth. After two years in Portsmouth Band he returned, until July 1998, to the Royal Marines School of Music which had by then moved to its new home in HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, once again as the Bassoon Instructor.

Don was promoted to Band Colour Sergeant in 2002 and in the same year moved to the Higher Training Department of the (RMSoM) Royal Marines School of Music to complete the Bandmasters’ course. After passing Don was drafted to the Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland, and in September 2005 he returned to the Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth.

In January 2006 Don was promoted to Warrant Officer Bandmaster, and was appointed to Head Quarters Royal Marines Band Service, and in May 2007 he was appointed as the Chief Instructor, Higher Training, RMSoM.

He passed the ATCL performers diploma in1997, gained his Associated Board Certificate of Teaching (CT ABRSM) in 2000, was one of the first group of Royal Marine Musicians to graduate with BMus(Hons) through the association with Portsmouth University in 2001, he gained the LRSM (conducting diploma) with distinction at the end of the Bandmasters’ course in 2003.

Whilst at HMS Daedalus Don met his wife Barbie, they have twins Wendy and Martin who are two and a half years old and Simon who is 3 months old. Don also has a daughter Gillian who lives in Deal, and a son James who has also joined the Royal Marines Band Service.

Last updated 13 Jun 2007