The Woolwich Royal Artillery Band
Major Neil Morgan, Director of Music.
Formed back in 1762 in Woolwich, the former Regimental Home and Headquarters of the Royal Artillery, the band provides music to the British Army’s formations both in peace and on operations.
As one of eight London-based State Bands, the Royal Artillery Band supports all State Ceremonial duties including the historic Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and all Royal and State Visit Gun Salutes with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park and Green Park.
When not employed on Ceremonial duties the Royal Artillery Band retains strong links with its parent regiment, performing for the Royal Artillery at its Headquarters in Larkhill and for its many regiments around the world.
It has long been a tradition for the band’s musicians to be competent on both string and wind instruments. As such, the Royal Artillery Band is the only British Army ensemble able to perform independently as a wind band or as a concert orchestra.
The 19th Regiment Royal Artillery Massed Pipes and Drums
Pipe Major John Taylor, Head of the Band.
Originally formed back in 1900, the 19th Regiment Royal Artillery, the Highland Gunners, has always had pipers. Nowadays the regiment is based in Hampshire in the South of England, far away from Scotland, its historical homeland. Despite this geographical dislocation, indeed, the Regiment is fiercely proud of its Highland traditions. The privilege of wearing the Hunting Robertson modern tartan of Clan Donachaidh was bestowed upon the regiment by the clan chieftain Robertson of Struan in 1981.
The Regiment has seen action over the world. During World War 1, the Regiment fought in Gallipoli, the Battle of the Somme, Ypres, Cambria in Flanders. At the start of the WWII the Regiment gained the honor of being the first British Regiment to fire artillery rounds, with 28/143 Battery firing on the Maginot line. It then went on to see action in Tunisia, North Africa and Italy as well as Korea, Hong Kong, and Aden (from where the Regiment draws its Regimental March - The Barren Rocks of Aden).
Having a busy concert schedule, the band is heavily engaged in various military parades as well as charity activities.
The band has performed at different military tattoos, including Holland and Luxembourg as well as the world-famous Royal Edinburgh military Tattoo. In 2009 it was chosen to be the first British Army Pipe band to play in the Nanchang Military Tattoo in China. The band is pleased to continue its international recitals.
The bandsmen and women on parade today are first and foremost soldiers, many of whom have been playing less than 3 years and who value such international experience as very prestigious.
Years of performances of the collective:
