ISSN2050-4926 INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MUSIC SOCIETY UNITED KINGDOM (FOUNDER) BRANCH Journal No. 116 SUMMER 2018 INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MUSIC SOCIETY UNITED KINGDOM (FOUNDER) BRANCH Founder President: Lt-Col Sir Vivian Dunn KCVO OBE (1908-1995) Branch President: Lt-Col (Rtd) Geoff Kingston Honorary Vice-Presidents: Mrs J E Alford, P T Higgins, P Mather, Miss E Pearson INTERNATIONAL VICE- CHAIRMAN’S CALL PRESIDENT: Sadly, once again, I have to start my Looking to the future, the ongoing Major (Rtd) Roger Swift Chairman’s Call with the very sad saga of the forthcoming closure of CHAIRMAN: news that John Crisford CBE passed Kneller Hall continues to give me Alan Purdie, 5 Hemming Close, away suddenly on Wednesday some concerns. The support we have Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2JD. 2nd May. I have known John for many received over the years from the Staff Tel: 020 8941 1416. years while I worked for The Royal at the School of Music has always E-mail: [email protected] British Legion and I was honoured been encouraging, but we do need to HON. SECRETARY: when John, as Legion National be realistic and face up to the fact that Jim Davies, Amberstone, Pyrford Road, Chairman, presented me with Life our quarterly meetings will need to be Pyrford, Surrey GU22 8UP. Membership on my retirement. A held somewhere else. There are Tel: 01932 355135. fuller Obituary will appear in our next several possible venues within the E-mail: [email protected] Journal but, in the meantime, our M25, but I would also like to consider HON. TREASURER thoughts go to John’s family. the possibility of holding at least one & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: I have just returned from attending the meeting a year outside the M25 Guy Morris, 32 Claremont Avenue, perimeter. You will note elsewhere Hersham, Surrey KT12 4NS. Legion’s Annual Conference in Belfast where the Opening and that we are repeating the successful Tel: 0870 904 6453. format of holding a meeting in E-mail [email protected] Closing ceremonies were enhanced by the Band of the Royal Irish Portsmouth prior to the RM School of JOURNAL EDITOR: Regiment under the direction of Music Concert and Beating Retreat. Mike Boxall, 38 Hortensia House, One of the main objectives of your Hortensia Road, London SW10 0QP. Warrant Officer Class 1 Richard E-mail: Douglas. The band was joined by the Committee is to facilitate visits to [email protected] Pipes and Drums of 2 Royal Irish to Service Bands in their own lead the Parade to the War Memorial establishments and, while I admit that COMMITTEE MEMBERS: for our Wreath Laying Ceremony. this has been difficult in previous Charles Gray, Brian Hill, Rodney Illsley years, I am delighted that Jim Davies and Ron Shooter What a good band they were! As you are all aware, our membership has been able arrange several visits ADVISORY PANEL: recently. Sadly, I have been unable to John Curtis, Colin Dean, continues to fall and we must all make an increased effort to recruit new get to any of these myself, but the Dr Graham Jones MBE, Philip Mather, reports back have been most Major (Rtd) Richard Powell, and Major members to the Society. Those of you encouraging and thanks must go to (Rtd) Gordon Turner MBE who attended last year’s AGM will recall that I challenged everyone to Jim for persevering to arrange the REGIONAL ORGANISER recruit one new member during the visits. I would encourage you to join North East: Ivor Shirley, 9 Hurst any visit at a location near you when Grove, Darlington, DL1 4NX year. Sadly, my pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears, but we must all possible. WEBMASTER: take responsibility to do what we can With all best wishes. Ron Rose, Flat 4, Kingsholm House, 7 so that the Branch continues to Alan Purdie Twickenham Close, Swindon SN3 3FF. E-mail: [email protected] survive in the years ahead. Website: www.imms-uk.org.uk The IMMS UK Branch Journal is published four times a year. The remaining closing dates Follow us on Facebook for copy in 2018 are 31st August and 16th November. Contributions for the Journal from members are always welcome. The annual membership subscription, due on 1st January, is £25 of which the UK Branch retains £8 to help finance local activities. Members receive in FRONT COVER: The Central Band addition to the UK Branch Journal three editions each year of Band International, which is of the RAF in the new Ceremonial sent to all members worldwide. Further details about the Society and its activities are Uniform on the Northolt parade available from the UK Branch Secretary. Enquiries and correspondence about the Society’s square. Aiguillettes are no longer meetings should be addressed to the Branch Secretary and not to Kneller Hall. The contents worn and all bands now wear belts of the UK Branch Journal are copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without and RAF Music shoulder flashes. permission. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the President, the UK ( Photo:MOD/Crown copyright) Branch Committee or the Society’s membership as a whole. 2 IMMS UK (Founder) Branch Journal – Summer 2018 BRANCH SECRETARY’S NOTES Branch meetings Forthcoming band visit With the kind permission of the We are delighted to announce that we On Sunday 18 February, Musicians Commandant, Colonel Victoria Reid have been invited by Major Pete and Buglers from the Band and OBE, and with the support of her Curtis MBE, RM, to visit the Royal Bugles of The Rifles, spent the day team there, our meetings take place at Marines School of Music at HMS working with youngsters of the The Royal Military School of Music, Nelson, Portsmouth on Tuesday Romford Drum and Trumpet Corps at Kneller Hall Twickenham TW2 7DU. 3 July at 13 00. Please contact me their headquarters at Romford. The remaining meetings this year will (preferably by post at Amberstone, The day closed with a splendid be on Saturdays 16 June (with the Pyrford Road, Pyrford GU22 8UP) concert of three parts: the first by the Branch AGM held at 11 00), for further information. There are 25 Romford band, the second by the 22 September and 8 December, places on this visit, so we may need to Rifles band and the third a finale with starting at 14 00. restrict allocations to members. the two bands combining for a When attending meetings, you’ll need Focus on youth suitably splendid climax to the day. to allow time to complete the security Around 20 members were delighted Although a printed programme procedures at the School. If you travel to accept Captain Ben Mason’s wasn’t provided, there was some fine by public transport or on foot, notify invitation to attend the Band of The music and we left with McBain's me in advance. If travelling by car for Queen’s Division’s Recruiting Open Mechanised Infantry, complete with the first time, notify me of your Day at RAF Henlow on Saturday bugles, ringing in our ears. vehicle’s registration number. 10 February although unfortunately Clearly a great deal of work, effort Members’ details are held at the Ben, a longstanding friend of the and commitment goes into the Guardroom for subsequent visits. Branch, could not be there on the day. organisation and running of youth Remember to carry your IMMS We enjoyed listening to some young bands such as this and they achieve a membership card as proof of identity. musicians rehearsing alongside the great deal. Lost membership cards can be Queen’s Division Band, augmented Listen to the Band to be ‘rested’ replaced on request. by Army Reserve musicians from The Forthcoming meetings Band of The Royal Anglian The BBC announced in January that the long-running brass and military Our guest speaker on Saturday Regiment, in the station's chapel for a band show on Radio 2, Listen to the 16 June will be Lieutenant-Colonel short performance that they were to Band, was to be ‘rested’ from its (retd) Roger Tomlinson, whose give to proud parents and families schedule with effect from this May. distinguished and varied service in after lunch. The programme, which had been Army music started in 1957 as a presented by Frank Renton since trombone player in the Band of the 1994, was a victim of the station’s Royal Corps of Signals and latest scheduling changes, which also concluded as (the first) Principal saw the end of the well-established Director of Music (Army) from 1992 programme The Organist Entertains. to 1994. Following the success of our regional RM Musician of the Year meeting at Portsmouth last year we The Royal Marines School of Music’s will be holding a further meeting at annual Musician of the Year contest Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 4 took place in Portsmouth on Tuesday August at noon. All members are 27 March. The Band of The Queen’s Division’s welcome, but it would be helpful if French horn section at RAF Henlow. Musician Emily Batten (clarinet) took members could let me know of their (Photo: Jim Davies) first place and the Cassel Prize 2018. intention to attend. The music they were studying, and Musician Matthew Fletcher During the course of the meeting, would be performing, included (euphonium) was second and third which precedes the Royal Marines Holyrood (Kenneth Alford) and an was Musician Holly Branson (violin). School of Music's Open Day Concert Andrew Lloyd Webber selection. Seven soloists took part in the - which starts at 14 00 - we will be competition.