Warrant Officer 1 (Bandmaster) MP Grace LRSM AMusTCL RM

Martin Grace joined the Royal Marines Band Service at Deal, Kent in March 1985 studying the cornet and violin. On completion of training he was drafted for a short while to the Staff Band at the Royal Marines School of Music (RMSoM) before moving in 1988 to the Commander in Chief (Fleet) Band based at RAF Northolt, West London. The next four years were perhaps the most enjoyable of his career to date and during this time he visited many countries including Australia, Russia, America and the Far East. In October 1990 he was a member of the band which embarked in RFA Argus to take part in Operation Granby for which he was awarded the Gulf Medal in 1991.

In April 1992 Martin moved to Portsmouth to join the Commander in Chief (Naval Home Command) Band, later to be renamed Royal Marines Band Portsmouth, and the following year was selected to serve on board HMY Britannia, a highlight of which was a Royal tour of duty to the Caribbean.

In 1999 Martin was selected to attend the Warrant Officer Bandmasters Course during which he studied composition with Martin Ellerby and Gordon Langford and conducting with Malcolm Binney. He was subsequently awarded two diplomas - an Associate in Music from Trinity College London for theory and a Licentiate, with distinction, from the Royal Schools of Music for conducting,

May 2001 saw Martin join the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious as the Volunteer Band Instructor.  In addition to this role he had a number of other responsibilities on board including the whole ship’s mail, and as a Special Sea Duty Quartermaster. The events of September 2001 meant that the Ship’s three month deployment to the Gulf was extended to seven in order to take the lead role in Operation Veritas for which Martin was awarded the Operational Service Medal (Afghanistan). In hindsight these eighteen months on board proved to be a very valuable experience living and working with the Royal Navy.

Promotion to Band Colour Sergeant in 2003 meant that after another short spell in Portsmouth Band he was drafted to the Higher Training Department at RMSoM as both Academic Instructor and University Liaison Officer. The two and a half years spent in Higher Training was to be a most fulfilling time gaining a great deal of satisfaction from guiding a number of students successfully through both the M1 and Bandmasters Courses and administering the BMus(Hons) degree course which is available to all members of the Band Service. He was promoted to WO2 (Bandmaster) in 2006 and made the familiar trip back downstairs and along the corridor to the Portsmouth Band.  In March 2007 he was selected for promotion to WO1 (Bandmaster) and returned once again to RMSoM to take up his present appointment as Bandmaster (Training).

Martin lives in Portsmouth with his wife Carolyn and their daughter Lucy.

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Last updated 12 July 2007