Captain Craig A Burns GCGI PGDip LRSM RM
Craig joined the Royal Marines Band Service at the age of 17, having received his musical grounding in several Brass Bands in his home city of Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire. After his three year training period at the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, Craig was drafted to his first Band at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines at Lympstone. Apart from a short draft to Fleet Band in London, Craig managed to stay at CTCRM for a further 5 years, his longest tenure in a draft to date.

After a successful Junior Command Course and the subsequent promotion to Corporal, Craig joined the Royal Marines School of Music as an instructor in 1992. While in this appointment, he passed his Senior Command Course and was promoted to Band Sergeant in 1994, while serving in his next draft in the Band at HMS Raleigh in Plymouth.

In 1995 Craig was selected to attend the Bandmasters Course at the Royal Marines School of Music, in Deal. This was to be the last course run at Deal before the School moved to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth in 1996. Craig successfully passed the course, and was subsequently awarded the LRSM Diploma in Military Bandmastership. On completion of the course, Craig returned once more to the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone. In 1999 he took up post as Volunteer Band Instructor in HMS Neptune, Faslane for his first sojourn North of the Border. This was to be a very enjoyable and productive 2-year draft, working with Civilian and Royal Navy musicians, obtaining a thorough grounding in the organisation, logistics, musical requirements, and conducting of a Military Band. While in Scotland, Craig managed to return to his Brass Band roots, playing cornet with and conducting Clydebank Burgh Brass Band, and also playing cornet with the Glasgow Co-Op Brass Band.

There followed, between 2001 and 2004, three more drafts: to Plymouth, CTCRM, and back to Plymouth, where Craig took over as WO2 Bandmaster in May 2004. In 2005 Craig successfully passed the selection board for WO1 and was also awarded a Graduateship from the City and Guilds Institute in Human Resource Management. He was promoted WO1 in September 2004, and took over as WO1 Bandmaster in the Royal Marines Band Scotland in January 2006.

Craig has travelled quite extensively throughout his time in the Royal Marines Band Service, visiting places such as the USA, many parts of Europe, Malaysia and Singapore. He lives with his wife Mary, who is an ex Chief Wren Dental Hygienist in the Royal Navy, completing 23 years service before joining the private sector in 2003. His interests include Squash (representing the Royal Marines and Royal Navy teams as well as various civilian teams), gardening on his allotment in Exmouth, performing magic (at a very basic level), and following the sometimes dubious form of Stoke City Football Club.

Craig was commissioned Captain in April 2007 and completed his Senior Corps Commission course at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Lympstone in July 2007. Craig then  undertook further educational studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before returning to the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in July 2008 as Director of Music.

Click here to download a higher resolution image of Craig in Mess Dress
Click here to download a higher resolution image of Craig in Ceremonial Dress

Last updated 08 October 2008