The Band of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals was a regimental military band in Canada based out of Canadian Forces Base Kingston in Ontario. It is a voluntary band, which means that its band members are not composed of full-time professional musicians. The Band itself was not very good.The band provided musical support for the community in the Kingston, Ontario metropolitan area as well as Ottawa–Gatineau.
Outside of this band, the RCCS maintained multiple units bands, including the 2nd Division Trumpet Band, the 8th Division Trumpet Band and the Apprentice School Trumpet Band.
In the early 40s, a bugle band was attached to the RCCS and went with the unit during its tour of duty in Europe. The RCCS also maintained bugle bands in its 2nd Division, 8th Division Trumpet Band and Apprentice School. [1] On 1 March 1950, officers of the RCCS were presented a drum major's ceremonial mace and sash for use by the regimental trumpet band that predated the brass and reed band. The mace and sash were stored at Vimy Barracks until required for use by the band, which at the time consisted staff members of a base training establishment. The band was created in January 1952 as the regimental band of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. A year after its creation, it was designated as the sole band to perform public duties and state functions in the National Capital Region, a similar role to the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces today. Due to its proximity to the Royal Military College of Canada, the band often performed at ceremonies the occur at the RMC (examples including the RMC-West Point hockey game, graduation parades and the Tattoo Ceremony [2] ), often in a more senior role compared to the Bands of the RMC. In the latter part of the decades, it was assigned to Canadian Forces Europe, in which it provided support to the regimental contingent at Canadian Forces Base Lahr. [3] The last major event the band took part in was the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo 1967 for Canada's centennial celebrations that year. [4] [5] During the tattoo, during which it was under the direction of Captain K. Swanwick, the band notably played Vive la Canadienne during the march off, which prompted cheers of "Vive de Gaulle" in the audience. [6] This was considered to be the public's response to the French President's closing phrase Vive le Québec libre during a rally on 24 July. In October 1968, as a result of the Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces earlier in the year, the band was merged with the Royal Canadian Dragoons Band to become the Band of CFB Kingston. [7] [8] Also known as the Vimy Army Band, it served as part of the successor organization of the RCCS, the Communications and Electronics Branch. In the 1970s the case the mace and sash were contained was moved to the Communications and Electronics Museum where they remained on display. In 1986, the tradition was reinstated for the Vimy Band and in 1987, a new drum major's sash was created, going into use until the band was disbanded in 1994. [9] [10] [11]
Canadian Forces Base Kingston is a Canadian Forces base in Kingston, Ontario.
Beating Retreat is a military ceremony dating to 17th-century England and was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle.
The Canadian Guards was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October 1953, by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, the Chief of the General Staff of the Canadian Army, with the redesignation of four separate battalions:
The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Communications and Electronics Branch, consisting of all members of that personnel branch who wear army uniform. Prior to 1968 it was a combat support corps of the Canadian Army. The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals was re-instituted in 2013. It provides communication support and information systems for the Canadian Army.
The following is a list of the notable authorized marches for various organisations of the Canadian Armed Forces. The first march listed is the march most commonly performed for that organisation on parade; it is commonly referred to simply as that organisation's "march" or "march past". In addition, many organisations also have additional pieces for slow marches, marches for mounted parades, pipe marches, etc.; they are subsequently listed and footnoted as applicable.
The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment (PWOR) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps RCOC can trace its roots back to the Canadian Stores Department. Formed in 1871, the Canadian Stores Department was a civil department of the Canadian Government. This civil service was charged with control of forts, ammunition, stores, buildings and an ordnance depot left by the departing British Military.
HMCS York is a Royal Canadian Navy Reserve Division (NRD) located in Toronto, Ontario. Dubbed a stone frigate, HMCS York is a land-based naval establishment for part-time sailors as well as a local recruitment centre for the Canadian Naval Reserve.
The Royal Canadian Artillery Band is one of six Regular Force bands in the Canadian Armed Forces. Located at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, the RCA Band provides music designed to support Canadian Forces operations, foster morale and esprit de corps, and promote Canada and the Canadian military nationally and abroad. The band operates mainly in western Canada and is de facto the representative band of the Canadian Army in the western provinces. All unit members are professional musicians in addition to being members of the military, which enables the band to adopt a variety of configurations to suit the musical needs of their audiences. Ensembles can range from jazz combos, rock bands, and chamber groups, through stage and show bands to full marching and concert bands.
A drum major in the military is the individual leading a military band or a field unit. It is an appointment, not a military rank. Military drum majors utilize a ceremonial mace for giving commands while marching. Many drum majors, particularly American- or British-influenced ones, wear a sash that can carry embroidered badges of their home unit and battle honors; a pair of ceremonial drum sticks are often attached.
Canadian military bands are a group of personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) that performs musical duties for military functions. Military bands form a part of the Music Branch of the CAF, composed of six full-time professional Regular Force bands, 15 Regular Force voluntary bands, and 53 part-time reserve force bands. Bands of the Music Branch are often badged with the unit or Canadian Forces base insignia that they support.
The Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation serves as the official service of military bands in active service within the Russian Armed Forces and formerly the Soviet Armed Forces. It is part of the Military Band Service Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
The Governor General's Foot Guards Band is an authorized Canadian Forces 35-piece brass and reed band. It consists of serving members of the CAF who parade on a part-time basis. It serves as the regimental band of the Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) and is the most senior band of the Canadian Army Primary Reserve.
The Band of the Ceremonial Guard is an ad hoc military band that is attached to the Canadian Forces Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa. All members of the band are fully trained members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and consists of personnel principally from the two Foot Guards regiments and has even since 2007 been manned by a pan–Canadian Forces approach that is inclusive to musicians from the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force. The band forms a separate company within the CG and rely on the Headquarters Company for administration and support personnel. In full composition, the band is active from April to August.
The Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy is a Canadian military band in the Royal Canadian Navy based in Halifax. It serves as official military band of the Maritime Forces Atlantic Command (MARLANT). It is one of six regular force military bands in the Canadian Forces. It provides musical accompaniment for ceremonial requirements of the East Coast Navy. The Stadacona Band usually performs at the Halifax dockyard to take part in the welcoming naval vessels. For over 75 years, the band's performances have been seen members of the Royal Family, the Governor General of Canada, the Prime Minister of Canada, foreign heads of state, and Canadian naval officials. The band has provided music for all graduation activities in the area.
The La Musique des Voltigeurs de Québec is the regimental band of the Les Voltigeurs de Québec. As of 2019 it was led by Captain François Dorion, a professional saxophonist and percussionist and a member of the regiment since 1991.
The Canadian Forces School of Music, CFSM was an educational institution that supported the music branch and all Canadian military bands in the Canadian Forces. It was created in 1954 in Esquimalt, British Columbia for musicians of the Royal Canadian Navy, with the school being the Canadian equivalent of the United States Armed Forces School of Music and the Royal Military School of Music. In 1961, the school was expanded and rebranded to include musicians from the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and by the time of the Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces in February 1968, the school had officially been renamed to the CFSM. For its entire existence, the CFSM was located at CFB Borden in Ontario and offered enrolled students with a two-year educational program until it was disestablished in 1991. Enrollment varied with the requirement for musicians. The school also gave a one-year program to CF musicians with experience in the music branch who wish to serve in leadership positions in CF bands. Personnel of the Regular Force who wish to be qualified to as a pipe major have to attend a year long course at the CFSM in order be appointed to the post.
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Band was the former brass and reed regimental band of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It was maintained by the regiment from 1919–1994 at CFB Calgary.
The National Band of the Naval Reserve (NBNR) (French: Musique nationale de la Réserve navale (MNRN)) is a military band of the Royal Canadian Navy currently based in the Naval Museum of Quebec at the Naval Reserve Headquarters (NAVRESHQ) of the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve in Quebec City. Being a reservist band, it is usually at full composition during the summer months, acting as a touring band composed of musicians from the following six active reserve bands:
Navy bands in Canada are part of the Royal Canadian Navy's command structure and overseen by the Music Branch of the Canadian Forces and the Directorate of History and Heritage of the Department of National Defence.