Irish Guards Band
Encyclopedia
The Band of the Irish Guards is one of five bands in the Foot Guards
Foot Guards
-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...

 Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

s in the Household Division
Household Division
Household 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...

 whose main role is to guard the British monarch
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...

. The Band supports the regiment in this by providing the musical backing which much of the ceremonial
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...

 duties performed by the regiment require.

Unlike the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...

, which moves to various duty stations around the world, the band, like the bands of the other Foot Guards regiments, is based permanently at Wellington Barracks in St James's, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

Regimental marches

The Regimental Quick March
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...

 is the St Patrick's Day.

The Regimental Slow March is Let Erin Remember

History

The Irish Guards Band is one of the younger Guards Bands, as it was founded along with the regiment in 1900 on the order of Queen Victoria, making it only fifteen years older than the Welsh Guards Band
Welsh Guards Band
The 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:...

, which is the youngest. It is said to have been formed "to commemorate the bravery shown by the Irish regiments in the recent operations in South Africa". As with other Guards bands, the Irish Guards Band started travelling abroad to play soon after its creation, either to tour or to play for morale boosting concerts in areas where British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 troops were fighting. The Guards Bands' tradition of touring to areas of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 was accepted with full gusto by the new Irish Guards Band, who toured twice to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 before the band had even been together for fifteen years, whilst still fitting in a tour to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. At the end of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the Irish Guards band was the only band in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 to play in three victory parades, taking place in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

During the period between world wars the band continued to thrive and to gain experience. In 1919, the Bandmaster
Bandmaster
A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a military band, brass band or a marching band.-British Armed Forces:In the British Armed Forces, a Bandmaster is always a Warrant Officer Class 1 . A commissioned officer who leads a band is known as the Director of Music...

 Mr Hassell was commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

 to the rank of Lieutenant. This was the same year as the Bandmaster of the Welsh Guards Band, who was also commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant.

The Band's tradition of playing to troops overseas continued, such that they played many concerts to allied soldiers throughout both world wars. Their schedule became so busy during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 that for a short while the band was increased in strength to 65 musicians, vastly increased in size compared to the few dozen who played when it was first created.

At the end of the war the band had performed in the USA, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Italy, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Japan and Egypt. While stationed in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

 immediately after the war, the band sustained one fatal casualty. In Japan the band was accorded the unique privilege of being the first band ever to perform inside the Imperial Palace in the presence of the Empress and two Crown Princes.

The director appointed in 1938 was Lieutenant George Willcocks who was known throughout the world of music as "Polly Willcocks" and as a talented conductor. His tenure lasted until 1949 when he left the army at the rank of Major, in pursuit of a civilian career in South Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

).

The Band was fortunate enough to have Willcocks replaced by another big name in Music, Cecil Jaeger, who was the youngest Director of Music that any of the Guards regiments have ever had. Jaeger was known throughout the world for his conducting prowess, having once conducted the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for five concerts at the end of the Second World War. The Irish Guards Band continued to tour throughout the world, focusing on North America, where it toured to Canada and, on an extension to the Canadian tour, the United States, where they played in several New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 cities, including Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. In the Boston Symphony Hall the band was given a standing ovation on their debut, something considered by many musicians both of the day and of modern times a feat of excellence.

In June 1999, the band was deployed to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

, on peacekeeping, with NATO forces, which was the last time the entire band was mobilised.

In the modern day, the band regularly tours to Australia, where they have played in the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...

 and to Canada, as well as occasional tours to other locations all over the world. In early 2010, the band completed a tour of the US and Canada, accompanied by the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Highland Regiment. The abolition of the Women's Royal Army Corps
Women's Royal Army Corps
The Women's Royal Army Corps was the corps to which all women in the British Army except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chaplains and nurses belonged from 1949 to 1992.-History:The...

 in 1992 also brought female members into the Guards band for the first time.

Ulster native Major Phillip D. Shannon holds the distinction of being the first Irish-born music director in the regiment's history.

In common with the other Guards regiments, the Irish Guards have a "Corps of Drums
Corps of Drums
A Corps of Drums is a type of military band, which originated in European armies in the 16th century. The main instruments of a Corps of Drums are the drum and the flute or fife. Unlike 'full' military marching bands, Corps of Drums exist within an infantry battalion. A Drum major is the leader of...

" under the command of the drum major.

Drums and pipes

Like the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...

, the Irish Guards also boast a distinctive national feature in their pipe band. Uniquely in the British Army, the Irish Guards ensemble is referred to as the "Drums and Pipes," rather than the "Pipes and Drums." (Since drums were carried by British soldiers before pipes, the drums are senior.) They were formed during the First World War, with the first two sets of Great Irish Warpipes
Great Irish Warpipes
The Great Irish Warpipes are an instrument that in modern practice is identical, and historically was analogous or identical to the Great Highland Bagpipe. "Warpipes" is an English term; The first use of the Gaelic term in Ireland is recorded in a poem by John O'Naughton , in which the bagpipes...

 being donated by John Redmond
John Redmond
John Edward Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918...

, the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...

 at Westminster, whose son was serving with the regiment as an officer. They were trained by the London Irish Rifles
London Irish Rifles
The London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...

 and adopted their pattern of uniform, including the practice of wearing the caubeen badge over the right eye. Unlike the regimental band, pipe bands are based at battalion level, and when additional battalions are raised for wartime service, pipe bands are also raised to accompany them. (See list of pipe majors below.)

For several decades, Irish Guards pipers carried the Great Irish Warpipes, essentially a two-drone version of the three-drone Great Highland Bagpipe
Great Highland Bagpipe
The Great Highland Bagpipe is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland. It has achieved widespread recognition through its usage in the British military and in pipe bands throughout the world. It is closely related to the Great Irish Warpipes....

. In 1968, however, with the forming of the North Irish Brigade
North Irish Brigade
After the Second World War there were 14 infantry depots in Britain, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially aligned, and Infantry Depot M at Omagh was aligned with the regiments from Northern Ireland...

 into the Royal Irish Rangers
Royal Irish Rangers
The Royal Irish Rangers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army.-Creation:...

, the Highland pipe was standardized throughout the British Army and has been used by the Irish Guards ever since.

Members of the regimental band are full-time musicians who, in the past, used to be trained for duty as medical assistants in wartime. Since the introduction of Clinical Governance regulations within the NHS, however, Military musicians are deployed in a General Duties role.

Pipers and drummers, on the other hand, are full-time soldiers who undertake their musical responsibilities on a part-time basis. Two regimental pipers, Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone
Ian Keith Malone
Lance Corporal Ian Malone from Dublin in the Republic of Ireland was a member of the British Army's Irish Guards. He was the first person born in Ireland to be killed in the Iraq War...

 and Christopher Muzvuru, were killed during Operation Telic in Iraq.

Directors of music

  • Capt. C.H. Hassel, OBE, 1900–1929
  • Capt. J.L.T. Hurd, 1929–1938
  • Maj. G. H. Wilcocks, MBE, MVO, 1938–1948
  • Lt. Col. C.H. Jaeger, OBE, LRAM, ARCM, psm, 1948–1969
  • Maj. E.G. Horabin, LRAM, ARCM, psm, 1969–1977
  • Lt. Col. M.G. Lane, ARCM, psm, 1977–1989
  • Maj. M.J. Henderson, psm, 1989–1998
  • Maj. A.R. Chatburn, BA, ARCM, psm, 1998–2005
  • Maj. S.C. Barnwell BBCM, psm, 2005–2008
  • Maj. P.D. Shannon MBE 2008-2010
  • Maj. W. Hopla 2010-

Pipe majors

Original title of "Sergeant Piper" was changed to "Pipe Major" via Army Order 139 of 1928, change to date from July 31, 1928. On St. Patrick's Day 1991, the Queen Mother presented the regiment with its first-ever pipe banner. This is carried by the pipe major on the bass drone of his pipes when a member of the Royal Family is present.

1st Battalion

Sgt. T. Atkins, 1917(?)-36;
Sgt. F. Cosgrove, 1936–39;
CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1939–40;
WO2 J. Smyth, 1940–43;
Sgt. A.F. Phair, 1943–49;
WO2 J. Ramsey, 1950–54;
WO2 T.R. Ramsey, 1954–61, 1963–72;
Capt. H.F. Groves, 1961–63;
CSgt. W. Lyons, 1972–78;
CSgt. J.M. Johnston, 1978–81;
Sgt. K.J. Frazer, 1981–1991;
Sgt. J. Stranix, 1991–1993;
Sgt. J. Martin, 1993–95;
Sgt. R. Tumulty, 1995-00;
Sgt. R. Allan, 2000–05;
Sgt. D. Rogers, 05-Present

2nd Battalion

Sgt. J.T. Crozier, 1941–44;
CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1945–47;

3rd Battalion

CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1941–44;
Sgt. E. Norbury, 1944–46

Training Battalion

WO2 J. Smyth, 1940;
CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1940–41, 1944–45

Ensembles

There are several ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

s within the band of the Irish Guards:
  • Concert Band
    Concert band
    A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

  • Marching Band
    Marching band
    Marching 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
  • Fanfare Team
  • Orchestra
    Orchestra
    An 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...


Events

The band of the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...

 plays regularly for occasions and events. Some of these events that are most famous are listed below, although this is not a comprehensive list.
  • Changing of the Guard
    Guard Mounting
    Guard 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...

  • Trooping the Colour
    Trooping the Colour
    Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and the Commonwealth armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although the roots go back much earlier. On battlefields, a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rallying points...

  • Beating the Retreat
    Beating Retreat
    Beating 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:...



The band also performs at other non-military events. A tour of the United States and Canada in early 2010 is scheduled for the Irish Guards Band, accompanied by the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Highland Regiment.

See also

  • Coldstream Guards Band
    Coldstream Guards Band
    The 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...

  • Grenadier Guards Band
    Grenadier Guards Band
    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.- History :In 1685 Charles II allowed the band to maintain 12 Hautbois players...

  • Band of the Scots Guards
  • Welsh Guards Band
    Welsh Guards Band
    The 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 Division
    Household Division
    Household 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...


External links

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