Welsh Guards Band

Infobox musical artist
Name = Welsh Guards Band


Img_size = 250
Background = Military Band
Alias = Band of the Welsh Guards
Origin = flagicon|Wales London, United Kingdom
URL = [http://www.army.mod.uk/music/corps-band/490.aspx|Home of the Welsh Guards Band]

The Welsh Guards Band, often referred to as the "Band of the Welsh Guards", is the youngest [cite web| url= http://military-bands.co.uk/welsh_guards.html| title= Unofficial Welsh Guards Band History|accessdate=2008-05-27] of the five bands in the Foot Guards Regiments in the Household Division which primarily guards the British monarch.

Band membership duties

Musicians currently in the band have secondary roles in the British Army as Chemical Decontamination Assistants, Medics and Drivers.

The band is based at Wellington barracks in St James's London [cite web |url= http://www.army.mod.uk/music/corps-band/491.aspx|title= Welsh Guards Band Home|accessdate=2008-05-27] .

Regimental Marches

The Regimental Quick March is the "Rising of the Lark".

The Regimental Slow March is "Men of Harlech", although similarly to the Grenadier Guards they may march to the "British Grenadiers" Quick March, which is often played by the Grenadier Guards Band as it is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards.

History

The Welsh Guards Band was formed in 1915cite web |url=http://military-bands.co.uk/welsh_guards.html|title= Unofficial history of Welsh Guards band|dateaccessed=2008-05-27] , the same year as the regiment. Unlike other Guards Bands such as that of the Grenadier Guards, the band consisted of 45 people, including a Warrant Officer at the time of its inception, with the instruments having been bought by funds provided by the City of Cardiff.

Because the Welsh Guards Band was formed hundreds of years [Grenadier Guards Band, History Section] after military music for ceremonial purpose first arose, high standards had already been set by other Guards ensembles. They first publicly performed proving their worth on March 1, 1916, when they Mounted the King's Guard.cite web |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/music/corps-band/494.aspx|title= Official Home of the Welsh Guards band|accessdate=2008-05-27]

The Welsh Guards Band started its touring career in 1917, early after its formation. In recent years tours have taken the band to European countries such as Belgium and Spain; North America, with tours to the United States and Canada, and a recent tour to Egypt took the band to northern Africa. The band's first Bandmasterwho was commissioned on March 1, 1919, to the rank of Lieutenant, after serving with the band in his original position for nearly four years. He remained linked with the band until his retirement.

By 1948 there was a new bandmaster, Leslie Statham who was famed for his compositional prowess by both his real name, and his assumed name Arnold Steck. Under his leadership the band played extensively in Canada to large numbers of people, possibly well over one million, whilst performing hundreds of different items. It is thought that this was off the back of the fact that the Bandmaster had performed at venues visited by the band before as a soloist from the Army School of Music Band, at Kneller Hall. Busy Canadian touring was the start of a long tradition of visiting other countries to play. The most notable tour after this one however, was in 1965, where they visited Milan, to play at "British Week", and were accompanied by the "Pipes, Drums and Dancers" of the Scots Guards for a long tour to America two years later.

The band was honoured with playing at the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.

In the early 1970s, at the Band's pinnacle of success so far, in fields such as record contracts and appearances at sporting events, Major Desmond Walker died suddenly only weeks before the Band's planned departure for another Canadian and USA tour. The Tour went ahead as a new Director of Music was hastily appointed in the form of Captain Derek Taylor.

During the 1980s the band continued to tour and to build on its successes, touring to Seattle, Australia, Japan, and Paris amongst other places. In 1990, the Welsh Guards Band had its first ever Director of Music, to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel who two years later gained an MBE, and retired in 1993, as the last National Serviceman in Army Music.

The Current Director of Music was appointed to the Welsh Guards after serving with a number of other bands in 2005 and has earnt the Alf Young Memorial Prize for Best Church Service, whilst on his Student Bandmasters' Course.

Ensembles

There are several ensembles within the band of the Welsh Guards:
* Concert Band
* Marching Band
* Dance Band
* Fanfare Team
* Salon Orchestra

Events

The band of the Welsh 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.

* Changing of the Guard
* The Festival of Remembrance
* Trooping the Colour
* Beating the Retreat

The band also performs at other non-military events.

Key personnel

*Director of Music: Major D W Cresswell
*Bandmaster: WO1 J Matthews

References

See also

* Coldstream Guards Band
* Grenadier Guards Band
* Irish Guards Band
* Band of the Scots Guards
* Household Division

External links

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/music/corps-band/490.aspx Home of Welsh Guards Band]
* [http://www2.army.mod.uk/bands/welsh_guards/index.htm Former website]
* [http://military-bands.co.uk/welsh_guards.html Band History]