Grenadier Guards Band
Encyclopedia
The Band of the Grenadier Guards
is the oldest of all of the bands in the British Army, with a history dating back over three hundred & twenty five years.
allowed the band to maintain 12 Hautbois players. His death in 1685 was so significant for the band that until the Second World War the Bass Drummer (known officially as The Regimental Timebeater) wore a black armband in mourning of the King's passing.
The size of the ensemble has changed over time, starting off with between twelve and nineteen players, in the 18th Century to a peak in numbers by the end of the 1970s with seventy musicians. Today there are 42 band members.
In 1872, the Band of the Grenadier Guards were the first British uniformed soldiers to enter the United States of America since the War of 1812
. They last toured the United States of America in 2003, when they gave performances over a period of three months, at over sixty venues, visiting forty states. The Band often tours overseas and has visited Belgium
, Denmark
, Italy
, Holland, Switzerland
, Germany
, Bosnia
, and Australia
.
The Band was given the freedom of the City of Lincoln
on 8th May, 2008.
King Charles II restored not only Monarchy to England but patronage of the arts, not least by laying the foundations of the Grenadier Guards Band when he commissioned players to the First Regiment of Foot Guards in 1685. The Regiment was to become known as the Grenadier Guards after their victory on the battle field at Waterloo.
The Grenadier Guards Band has been filling the streets of London with music and colour for over 3 centuries, a truly historic sound and sight. It is symbolic and emblematic of London and our nation's history. The Band has served 15 monarchs over 325 years with dedication and pride. It has been present at all the major royal occasions: births, coronations, weddings and funerals.
The Band has been a witness to all London's key historic events both tragic and joyful. It raised morale during the darkest hours of the second world war and its uplifting music ushered in a new beginning at the Coronation of our present Queen.
The British Grenadiers march is one of the most recognizable and memorable tunes in the world, part of our musical heritage. One of the band's admirers during the 18th century was George Fredrick Handel. He demonstrated his admiration by presenting the march from Scipio to the regiment before he included it in his opera of that name when it was first performed in 1726. George II gave Handel the task of scoring the Music for the Royal Fireworks, most commonly performed with strings, for the King's own musicians who were wind players from his foot guards. Handel would have undoubtedly come into contact with musicians from the Grenadier Guards, during the first performance at Vauxhall Gardens in 1749.
Throughout Britain's history the music of the Grenadier Guards has been the backdrop to our national life and identity. It represents our constancy, dignity and artistry.
Assistants, Medics & Drivers.
The band is based at Wellington Barracks in St James's London.
Other ensembles include:
The band also performs at other non-military events such as Henley Regatta
, Royal Ascot
, the FA Cup Final
and international rugby matches and opened the 2002 Commonwealth Games
in Manchester. The Grenadier Guards Band also visits schools to take part in musical concerts and workshops.
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
is the oldest of all of the bands in the British Army, with a history dating back over three hundred & twenty five years.
History
In 1685 Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
allowed the band to maintain 12 Hautbois players. His death in 1685 was so significant for the band that until the Second World War the Bass Drummer (known officially as The Regimental Timebeater) wore a black armband in mourning of the King's passing.
The size of the ensemble has changed over time, starting off with between twelve and nineteen players, in the 18th Century to a peak in numbers by the end of the 1970s with seventy musicians. Today there are 42 band members.
In 1872, the Band of the Grenadier Guards were the first British uniformed soldiers to enter the United States of America since the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. They last toured the United States of America in 2003, when they gave performances over a period of three months, at over sixty venues, visiting forty states. The Band often tours overseas and has visited Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Holland, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Band was given the freedom of the City of Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
on 8th May, 2008.
King Charles II restored not only Monarchy to England but patronage of the arts, not least by laying the foundations of the Grenadier Guards Band when he commissioned players to the First Regiment of Foot Guards in 1685. The Regiment was to become known as the Grenadier Guards after their victory on the battle field at Waterloo.
The Grenadier Guards Band has been filling the streets of London with music and colour for over 3 centuries, a truly historic sound and sight. It is symbolic and emblematic of London and our nation's history. The Band has served 15 monarchs over 325 years with dedication and pride. It has been present at all the major royal occasions: births, coronations, weddings and funerals.
The Band has been a witness to all London's key historic events both tragic and joyful. It raised morale during the darkest hours of the second world war and its uplifting music ushered in a new beginning at the Coronation of our present Queen.
The British Grenadiers march is one of the most recognizable and memorable tunes in the world, part of our musical heritage. One of the band's admirers during the 18th century was George Fredrick Handel. He demonstrated his admiration by presenting the march from Scipio to the regiment before he included it in his opera of that name when it was first performed in 1726. George II gave Handel the task of scoring the Music for the Royal Fireworks, most commonly performed with strings, for the King's own musicians who were wind players from his foot guards. Handel would have undoubtedly come into contact with musicians from the Grenadier Guards, during the first performance at Vauxhall Gardens in 1749.
Throughout Britain's history the music of the Grenadier Guards has been the backdrop to our national life and identity. It represents our constancy, dignity and artistry.
Band membership duties
Musicians currently in the band have secondary roles in the British Army as Chemical DecontaminationDecontamination
Decontamination is the process of cleansing the human body to remove contamination by hazardous materials including chemicals, radioactive substances, and infectious material...
Assistants, Medics & Drivers.
The band is based at Wellington Barracks in St James's London.
Key personnel
- Director of Music: Captain Mike Smith
- Bandmaster: WO1 Neil Skipper
- Band Sergeant Major: WO2 Andrew Wood
Ensembles
There are several ensembles within the band of the Grenadier Guards:- Concert Band
- Marching BandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
- Dance band
- Big Band
- Fanfare Trumpet Team
- 18th Century Ensemble
Other ensembles include:
- OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s- These include a range from String Quartet, to Chamber Orchestra
- Dinner Trios and Quartets also number among the band's ensembles.
Events
The band of the Grenadier Guards plays regularly for occasions and events. Some of these events that are most famous are listed below, although this is not a comprehensive list.- Beating RetreatBeating RetreatBeating Retreat is a military ceremony dating back to 16th century England and was first used in order to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle.-History:...
- Changing of the GuardGuard MountingGuard Mounting, or Changing the Guard , refers to a formal ceremony in which sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries...
- The Festival of RemembranceRemembrance DayRemembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
- Trooping of the Colour
- InvestitureInvestitureInvestiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
s - State Visits
The band also performs at other non-military events such as Henley Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
, Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
, the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
and international rugby matches and opened the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
in Manchester. The Grenadier Guards Band also visits schools to take part in musical concerts and workshops.
See also
- Coldstream Guards BandColdstream Guards BandThe Band of the Coldstream Guards is one of the oldest and best known bands in the British Army, having been officially formed on 16 May 1785 under the command of Major C F Eley, reflecting the fact that the Coldstream Guards regiment is the oldest of the guards regiments...
- Irish Guards BandIrish Guards BandThe Band of the Irish Guards is one of five bands in the Foot Guards Regiments in the Household Division whose main role is to guard the British monarch...
- Scots Guards BandScots Guards BandThe Band of the Scots Guards is one of five bands in the Foot Guards Regiments in the Household Division which primarily guards the British monarch....
- Welsh Guards BandWelsh Guards BandThe Band of the Welsh Guards is the youngest of the five bands in the Foot Guards Regiments in the Household Division which primarily guards the British monarch.-Band membership duties:...
- Household DivisionHousehold DivisionHousehold Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country’s most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with the head of state.-Historical Development:In...