BRANCH No. 121 AUTUMN 2019
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ISSN2050-4926 INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MUSIC SOCIETY UNITED KINGDOM (FOUNDER) BRANCH Journal No. 121 AUTUMN 2019 INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MUSIC SOCIETY UNITED KINGDOM (FOUNDER) BRANCH Founder President: Lt-Col Sir Vivian Dunn KCVO, OBE (1908-1995) Branch President: Major (Rtd.) Roger Swift Honorary Vice-Presidents: Miss Eileen Pearson, Mr Pat Higgins, Mr Philip Mather INTERNATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT: CHAIRMAN’S CALL Major (Rtd.) Roger Swift The first of September 2019 marks the I am sure those sentiments can be CHAIRMAN: 25th anniversary of the Corps of Army applied to the bands of the other Jim Davies, Amberstone, Pyrford Road, Music and we send our congratulations services as well as the Reserve bands Pyrford GU22 8UP and best wishes to the Corps on their now taking an increasingly important Tel: 01932 355135 Silver Jubilee. The Gala Concert in the musical role. E-mail: [email protected] Park at Kneller Hall on Saturday The closure of Kneller Hall, of course, HON. SECRETARY: 20 July, which was attended by a huge Alan Purdie, 5 Hemming Close, will affect from next September our audience, marked the event in some Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2JD quarterly meetings which we have been Tel: 020 8941 1416 (Monday to Friday style. privileged to hold at the school through between 1000 and 1600) One of the biggest cheers of the night the good offices of the Branch’s then E-mail: [email protected] at the Gala Concert was accorded, President, the late Lieutenant-Colonel HON. TREASURER rightly, to In-Pensioner Colin George Evans OBE. Your committee & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: Thackery from The Royal Hospital, and our Secretary will be looking at Guy Morris, 32 Claremont Avenue, Chelsea, who sang Wind Beneath My alternative locations for our meetings Hersham KT12 4NS Wings, the song that earnt him a richly- and an announcement will be made Tel: 0870 904 6453 deserved spot at this year’s Royal about this in due course and also how E-mail: [email protected] Variety Performance. It was good too your Branch will be marking the JOURNAL EDITOR: to see our longstanding friend Phil school’s closure. Mike Boxall, 38 Hortensia House, Shannon, now a Captain of Invalids at Hortensia Road, London SW10 0QP You will find information in our diary E- mail: the Royal Hospital, back on The Rock feature on page 18 giving details of [email protected] directing the bands’ sensitive military band parades, concerts and accompaniment COMMITTEE MEMBERS: other appearances through to the end of Charles Gray, Brian Hill, Rodney Illsley, This summer it was good to see our the year and I hope you will be able to Martin West, and Ron Shooter (co-opted) military bands supporting so brilliantly attend at least some of these. ADVISORY PANEL: major national events, notably in June Specifically, I urge members to support John Curtis, Colin Dean, Lt.-Col. (Rtd.) the State Visit of President and Mrs those concerts promoted in aid of one Graham Jones MBE, Philip Mather, Trump, the moving and complex or more local or national charities. Major (Rtd.) Richard Powell & Major ceremonies both in Portsmouth and Concerts organised in this way (Rtd.) Gordon Turner MBE th Normandy to mark the 75 frequently face considerable costs in REGIONAL ORGANISER anniversary of the D Day landings and presenting such events and organisers North East & Cumbria: Ivor Shirley, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to must very work hard to sell sufficient 9 Hurst Grove, Darlington DL1 4NX name just three. tickets to cover their costs before even WEBMASTER: As Colonel Reid, Kneller Hall’s starting to raise funds for the quoted Ron Rose, Flat 4, Kingsholm House, 7 Twickenham Close, Swindon SN3 3FF Commandant, wrote in the programme beneficiaries. The musicians deserve E-mail: [email protected] for this year’s Concerts in the Park our support, as do the plucky series, “British Army music continues organisers! Website: www.imms-uk.org.uk to deliver a great deal to many, and Jim Davies there is much to be excited about.” Follow us on Facebook The IMMS UK Branch Journal is published four times a year. The remaining closing date for copy for 2019 is 28th November. Contributions for the Journal from members are always welcome. The annual membership subscription, due on 1st January, is £25 of which the UK FRONTBranch COVER:Meetings Branch retains £8 to help finance local activities. Members receive in addition to the UK SSgt Mark Thompson and SSgt Simon Branch Journal three editions each year of Band International, which is sent to all members Moore of the Lancashire Artillery worldwide. Further details about the Society and its activities are available from the UK Branch Secretary. Enquiries and correspondence about the Society’s meetings should be (Volunteers)(At The Royal Band Military play Rossini's School ofDuet for Two Cats on the bandstand during addressed to the Branch Secretary and not to Kneller Hall. The contents of the UK Branch theMusic, Shrewsbury Kneller Hall,Flower Twickenham Show this Journal are copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without permission. Opinions August.TW2 7DU) (Photo: Rodney Illsley) expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the President, the UK Branch Committee or the Society’s membership as a whole. Our meetings at Kneller Hall in 2 2015 will take place on Saturdays IMMS UK (Founder) Branch Journal – Autumn 2019 20th June, 12th September and BRANCH SECRETARY’S NOTES Branch meetings Various postings followed including Kneller Hall Concerts in the that of Director of Music to the Park 2020 Brigade of Gurkhas which meant that Early indications are that there will be he was required to learn Nepalese. two Concerts in the Park in July next His time with the Gurkhas also year before Kneller Hall finally closes entailed an annual trip to Nepal with its gates. Should these go ahead I am the Band. sure that the final event will be a Vernon’s final posting as Director of spectacular celebration of the history Music was to return to the Band of the of an institution not only for the local Scots Guards where he had also been residents but for the whole of military Bandmaster. music over many years. Future meetings IMMS UK information leaflet The next Branch meeting will be on Some members will already have Saturday 21st September starting at seen our new information and 1400hrs when our speaker will be recruitment leaflets. These tri-fold Major Huw Williams, currently pamphlets describe the Society’s Director of Music (Training) at the aims, the benefits of membership and Royal Marines School of Music in the yearly subscription. They also With the kind permission of Colonel Portsmouth. contain a membership application Victoria Reid OBE, Commandant of form to complete and send in and Huw has promised to not only cover the Royal Military School of Music, stirring photos of bands from all three his career so far, with musical our next few meetings will continue Services. accompaniment, but may give a brief to take place at Kneller Hall, insight into the future training of Twickenham TW2 7DU. musicians in both the Royal Marines IMPORTANT NOTICE and the Corps of Army Music. All members intending to attend The December meeting will now be quarterly meetings must notify me held on Saturday 14th December in advance of their intention to also starting at 1400hrs. Our speaker attend. If you are travelling by will be Captain Paul Goodwin MBE public transport please confirm this who will review his musical career and if arriving by car please include before his retirement at the end of this details of your car registration. year. This will assist the personnel in the Guardroom. If you arrive without Meetings in 2020 informing me then entry may be Dates for meetings next year have refused. been confirmed by your Committee Additionally all members must carry as: their IMMS membership cards as • Saturday 21st March proof of identity. Lost cards can be • Saturday 20th June replaced by the Membership • Saturday 19th September Secretary on request. • Saturday 5th December June meeting I have had confirmation that the The speaker at our meeting in June meetings in March and June can still was Lieutenant Colonel Vernon be held at Kneller Hall and your Yates, Commanding Officer, Committee is currently looking at CAMUS Regional HQ. possible future venues. Having initially apologised for not As an experiment, and in order to having any visuals to support his The front of the new IMMS UK assist members outside the M25 to information leaflet presentation he went on to give us a attend meetings, I have written to the very lively presentation starting from National Memorial Arboretum in If you could make use of these leaflets his enlistment as a Junior Musician at Staffordshire to ask them to allow us to attract new members, please write to me at 5 Hemming Close, Hampton, Bovington in 1982 and covering his to meet in September. I am hoping Middlesex TW12 2JD saying how Pupils course during his nine years that it will be possible to arrange short with the Hussars. many leaflets you think you could guided tours in the morning before the use. After his Student Bandmasters course normal afternoon meeting. Further Alan Purdie he was posted as WO1 to the Band of details will be sent to members as they the King’s Division (Normandy). become clearer. IMMS UK (Founder) Branch Journal – Autumn 2019 3 IMMS INTERNATIONAL GATHERING 2019 Seven members from the UK with 58 members from other On Thursday we boarded the coach to Rotterdam where we countries attended the Biennial IMMS International Event in attended a tribute to the veterans at the Van Ghent Barracks, The Hague, Netherlands, from 26th to 29th June.