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IMMS Journal Winter 2015.Qxd 23/12/2015 10:31 Page 1 IMMS Journal Winter 2015_IMMS Journal Winter 2015.qxd 23/12/2015 10:31 Page 1 ISSN 2050-4926 INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MUSIC SOCIETY UNITED KINGDOM (FOUNDER) BRANCH JOURNALNo. 106 WINTER 2015/16 IMMS Journal Winter 2015_IMMS Journal Winter 2015.qxd 23/12/2015 10:31 Page 2 INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MUSIC SOCIETY UNITED KINGDOM (FOUNDER) BRANCH Founder President: Lt-Col Sir Vivian Dunn KCVO OBE (1908-1995) President Emeritus: Lt-Col George Evans OBE (1926-2011) Branch President: Lt-Col (Rtd) Geoff Kingston Honorary Vice-Presidents: E A Alford, Mrs J E Alford, P T Higgins, P Mather, Miss E Pearson Those of us who have read comment s by the CHAIRMAN: CHAIRMAN’S CALL Principal Director of Music, Royal Marines, in Nigel Ellis, 3 Rydal Close, t is well-known that Nature abhors a the latest edition of Blue Band will have Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1QX. vacuum. So too, it seems, does military E-mail: [email protected] I deduced that the future of The Royal Military music. We have seen the initiative that School of Music’s base at Kneller Hall – and ACTING VICE-CHAIRMAN: created the British Imperial Military Band the location of training of military musicians Alan Purdie, 5 Hemming Close, and this is now followed by others. In Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2JD. generally – is once again under active consider- January, in support of cancer charities close Tel: 020 8941 1416. ation. Kneller Hall has long been regarded as E-mail: [email protected] to the heart of former London District GSM the home of world-class musical training for “Perry” Mason, a band comprising former Army musicians from home and overseas, but, HON. SECRETARY: musicians and Directors of Music will Jim Davies, Amberstone, Pyrford Road, given the rate of change these days, it should perform in the Guards Chape l, whilst a Pyrford, Surrey GU22 8UP. come as no surprise that the ageing facility Tel: 01932 355135. former musician of the Band of The Life Guards is looking to form a band of would come under scrutiny from those who E-mail: [email protected] hold the purse strings. Perhaps there is to be HON. TREASURER ex-musicians in the Bournemouth area. These are just a few examples of where the major change in the provision and location of & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: musical training for the three Services – time Guy Morris, 32 Claremont Avenue, reduction of the provision of military-style will tell and we shall watch with interest. Hersham, Surrey KT12 4NS. music is being addressed and augmented in Tel: 0870 904 6453. the UK. There may well be more to come and Finally, I wish all IMMS UK Branch E-mail: [email protected] I hope that we shall be prepared to offer members a happy, healthy New Year. JOURNAL EDITOR: them our support and encouragement. Nigel Ellis Andrew Smith, 24 Floral Court, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2JL. Syria. The British Army, significantly smaller Tel: 07737 271676. FROM THE EDITOR in size than when it was fighting in both E-mail: [email protected] t has been another busy year for British Afghanistan and Iraq in the last decade, is COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Imilitary music enthusiasts – with all the preparing itself for a possible new deployment Brian Hill, Steve Mason, regular ceremonial fixtures and concerts as to the Middle East, this time against ISIS. Alan Purdie and Ron Shooter well as special events marking historical The Government, in its latest Defence INTERNATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT: milestones such as the bicentenary of the Review (SDSR-2015), has called a halt to Major (Rtd) Roger Swift Battle of Waterloo, the 75th anniversaries year-on-year cuts to the military. The MOD ADVISORY PANEL: of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain and will now have a steadily growing b udget for at John Curtis, Colin Dean, Dr Graham Jones the 70th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ least the duration of this Parliament. So, while MBE, Philip Mather, Major (Rtd) Richard Day. But, as 2015 draws to a close, it is not there are not yet any signs that we will see any Powell, Major (Rtd) Gordon Turner MBE. military commemora tion but modern war major increase in the size of our forces (all of WEBMASTER: that is uppermost on our minds, due to the which have suffered manpower reductions in Ron Rose, Flat 4, Kingsholm House, recent years) it does at least suggest that there 7 Twickenham Close, Swindon, appalling terrorist atrocities in Paris, and Wiltshire SN3 3FF. with the UK and France now taking military will no more redundancy programmes. This is E-mail: [email protected] action against ISIS. good news for the armed forces as a whole – and should have positive implications for RECORDINGS: For Britain’s armed forces – including many Ian Duxbury, 11 Richmond Street, of our military musicians and drummers – military music, too. Bury, Lancashire BL9 9BS. there are new operational commitments. The Meanwhile, in this festive season, our RESEARCH ENQUIRIES: Royal Navy is meeting the challenge of the thoughts and prayers are with all British Major (Rtd) Richard Powell, 48 Eastwood, refugee crisis in the Mediterranean. The Royal servicemen and women, at home and abroad. Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6RU. Air Force is in act ion against ISIS in Iraq and Andy Smith REGIONAL ORGANISERS: Eastern: Nigel Ellis, 3 Rydal Close, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1QX. The IMMS UK Branch Journal is published four times a year. The respective closing dates for copy are 31st January, 30th North East: Ivor Shirley, 9 Hirst Grove, April, 31st July and 31st October. Contributions from members for inclusion in the Journal – including items of news, reviews of concerts and CDs, photographs and information about forthcoming events – are always welcome. The annual membership Darlington, County Durham DL1 4NX. subscription, due on 1st January, is £19 of which the UK Branch retains £8 to help finance local activities. Members receive North West: vacant in addition to the UK Branch Journal two editions each year of Band International, which is sent to all members worldwide. Scotland: Edgar Liddle, 38 Lennox Gardens, Further details about the Society and its activities are available from the UK Branch Secretary. Enquiries and correspondence Linlithgow, Scotland EH49 7QA. about the Society’s meetings should be addressed to the Branch Secretary and not to Kneller Hall. The contents of the UK South East: vacant Branch Journal are copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without permission. Opinions expressed do not necessarily West Midlands: vacant reflect the views of the President, the UK Branch Committee or the Society’s membership as a whole. Website: www.imms-uk.org.uk FRONT COVER IMAGES: The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth (Royal Band) supporting ISSN 2050-4926 the homecoming of HMS Duncan as she returned to Portsmouth from her maiden nine-month deployment to the Middle East. (Photos: RM Band Service) Page 2 International Military Music Society (UK Branch) G Journal No. 106 G Winter 2015/16 IMMS Journal Winter 2015_IMMS Journal Winter 2015.qxd 23/12/2015 10:31 Page 3 BRANCH SECRETARY’S NOTES Branch Visits e continue in discussion with the Band of Wthe Household Cavalry about a visit to them at Combemere Barracks, Windsor. Although a date has yet to be fixed, it would be helpful to have expressions of interest from members who would like to participate. The IMMS UK (Founder) Branch is very pleased to book tickets for certain parades as a service for members. Although public admission to some of these parades may be Branch Chairman Nigel Ellis with free, the Society makes a nominal charge for WO1 Bandmaster Ben Mason tickets secured in this way to cover some of the Following his Bandmaster’s Course at Kneller costs incurred and time involved as well Hall (2007 to 2010) he was appointed making a nominal contribution towards branch Bandmaster to the Minden Band of the Queen’s funds. Tickets for these parades may be Division and subsequently (in 2012) at the otherwise available, but individual applicants Royal Artillery – taking part subsequently in would hav e no assurance of receiving tickets that band’s emotional “Farewell to Woolwich” and seats allocated almost certainly would parade. In 2014 he took up his current spread around the parade ground and not appointment in charge of the Band of The together as an IMMS group. Adjutant General’s Corps, one of the new contemporary ensembles within the Corps of Annual General Army Music. Meeting and Quarterly We heard from Ben that the AGC Band is Branch Meetings regarded as one of CAMUS’s flagship Meeting, Saturday (At The Royal Military School of Music, ensembles; it is one of three formed under the 5th March 2016 Kneller Hall, Twickenham TW2 7DU) “Future of Army Music” restructure, the others otice is given that the Annual General ur meetings at Kneller Hall in 2016 being the bands of the Royal Electrical and Meeting of the International Military will be on Saturdays 5th March Mechanical Engineers and the Army Air Corps. N O Music Society’s UK (Founder) Branch will (including the Annual General Meeting), The AGC Band has 15 excellent specialist take place on Saturday 5th March 2016 at 11 00 18th June, 24th September and either 3rd musicians which enables it to deliver its at The Royal Military School of Music, Kneller or 10th December. mission of connecting musically with troonps o Hall, Twickenham TW2 7DU. Members attending the meeting should the ground and also with new young soldiers. The AGM is branch members’ opportunity to allow sufficient time to complete the The band can field up to three ensembles – and receive reports from, and put questions to, your security procedures at the school.
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