Royal Canadian Air Force Band La Musique de Aviation royale canadienne | |
---|---|
Active | 1947 |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) |
Type | Air Force Band |
Role | public duties |
Size | 35 full-time professional musicians |
Part of | 2 Canadian Air Division |
Garrison/HQ | 17 Wing, CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba |
March | RCAF March Past |
Commanders | |
Commanding Officer and Director of Music | Captain Devin Sloos |
Senior Warrant Officer | Master Warrant Officer Curtis Bamford |
The Royal Canadian Air Force Band (RCAF Band) (La Musique de Aviation royale canadienne) is a 35-member military band which represents the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently located at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, the RCAF Band provides musical accompaniment for ceremonies of the RCAF in Canada. The band is presently under the command of Captain Devin Sloos.
In 1946, Carl Friberg, a wartime bandmaster working as a public relations representative in Vancouver, was invited to form a professional band for the RCAF No.2 Training Command in Winnipeg. It became operational the next year and was transferred to Edmonton as the North West Air Command Band. The band's first high-profile performance was during the Earl Alexander of Tunis's (Governor General of Canada from 1946–1952) tour of western Canada in 1948. In 1955, the band became the Tactical Air Command Band which coincided with an increase in musicians, going from 35 to 55. The band was transferred back to Winnipeg in 1964 and was combined with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Band in 1968.
The other members of the band became part of the newly formed Canadian Forces Air Transport Command Band and was transferred to the Canadian Forces Air Command in 1975, with its headquarters in Winnipeg and was renamed the Air Command Band. During the reformation of the Music Branch in 1994, the band was expanded from 35 to 45 members. The band changed its name again in 1997 to the Band of 1 Canadian Air Division when that particular unit was formed. Unlike its predecessors, this was a downgrade as decreased in the number of musicians. Another name change came in 2000 when it was changed back to "Air Command Band".
In 2009, a major reorganization of the band occurred. An increase of demand prompted its leadership to create new subdivisions such as Jet Stream, Command Brass (brass quintet) and an eight member pipes and drums (not to be confused with the RCAF Pipes and Drums). [1]
In 2011, with the restoration of royal military prefixes, the band was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force Band. [2] [3]
2016 saw the dissolution of the pipes and drums and a reinstitution of the brass and reed band instrumentation, while still maintaining contemporary musical capabilities including vocals, guitar and piano. In July 2018, the band served as the musical support in the changing of the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace in London with a contingent of RCAF personnel from across Canada for the first time in the RCAF's history. [4] [5] The band also took part in the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 2019. Once again, in June 2024, the RCAF Band travelled to Normandy and took part in ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Armed Forces. As the Canadian Armed Forces is officially bilingual, the French language ranks are presented following the English.
Canadian Forces Base Borden, formerly RCAF Station Camp Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is home to the largest training wing in the Canadian Armed Forces. The base is run by Canadian Forces Support Training Group (CFSTG) and reports to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) in Kingston.
Squadron leader is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Flight lieutenant is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank originated in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in 1914. It fell into abeyance when the RNAS merged with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War but was revived in 1919 in the post-war RAF. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Air Chief Marshal Lloyd Samuel Breadner, CB, DSC was a Canadian military pilot and Chief of the Air Staff during World War II.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.
438 "City of Montreal" Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operates the Bell CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopter from the Hartland de Montarville Molson Hangar of CFB St. Hubert in Quebec, Canada. Its tasks include armed and unarmed tactical utility transport, training aircrew personnel in basic and advanced aviation tactics, technical training of groundcrew personnel and flight engineers and the periodic maintenance of CH-146 fleet aircraft. They also include as residual capabilities search and rescue, reconnaissance and support to federal, provincial and local law enforcement agencies. A "total force" unit composed of members of the Regular Force, and both full time and part time reservists, the squadron is part of 1 Wing at CFB Kingston Ontario.
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles are a Primary Reserve one-battalion infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Nicknamed the "Little Black Devils", they are based at Minto Armoury in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles are part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group.
The "Royal Air Force March Past" is the official march of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and is used in some other Commonwealth air forces.
Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw, also known as 15 Wing Moose Jaw, is a Canadian Forces base located 4 nautical miles south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is home to RCAF Pilot training and 431 Squadron, the Snowbirds, which is the RCAF's air demonstration squadron.
The Music Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). It is primarily composed of band musicians, and also deals with the selection and musical training of its recruits. The branch encompasses all the military bands in service in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is roughly the equivalent to the British Army's Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS).
Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg is a Royal Canadian Air Force base located within the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Co-located at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, CFB Winnipeg is home to many flight operations support divisions, as well as several training schools. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 17 Wing, commonly referred to as 17 Wing Winnipeg.
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to the command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces, but usually refers to a more senior officer. Today, a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery. In the Chinese People's Liberation Army, a captain may also command a company, or be the second-in-command of a battalion. In Myanmar, a Captain is either a General Staff Officer or a Company Second in Command as of the organisational structure but sometimes in practice, can be a Company Officer Commanding.
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.
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 Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces is one of six full-time Regular Force military bands in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is also the seniormost military band in the CAF. The band provides professional musical support for the representative institutions of the Canadian Forces, supporting the Department of National Defence and the Government of Canada, in events throughout the National Capital Region.
There are currently 9 main military bands currently belonging to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which represent the different branches of the SANDF and providing music on ceremonial occasions. Since military bands were introduced in the country, they have played a prominent role in public and military life. Pipe bands also play an important role in South African military music, with notable pipe bands coming from the Cape Town Highlanders, Transvaal Scottish Regiment and the South African Military Health Service. Military bands of the SANDF are also affiliated with the police bands of the South African Police Service. In addition to military music, military bands in the SANDF perform different genres, including classical, jazz, pop and light music.
The 22 Wing Band is a military band of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The band is currently based at CFB North Bay in Ontario. It was formed between 1989 and 1990 primarily to support ceremonial functions at the base. Its founder, then-Warrant Officer Chip Kean recruited 25 local civilian musicians to join the newly sanctioned band which designated Kean as its first official bandmaster. Kean retired in 1995, however, returned in 1998 as part of the Air Reserve due to the danger of the band being disbanded by the Department of National Defence.
The Royal Canadian Air Force Pipes and Drums (RCAFPD) is a military pipe band unit composed of current members of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The unit was formally established in October 1949 and is the longest continuous serving Air Force Pipe Band in the Canadian Forces. All of its 40 members are volunteers who are drawn from both the military and civilian sphere. At the time of its foundation, it was known as the RCAF Station Rockcliffe Pipe Band.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)