The Royal Artillery Band
The Royal Artillery Band provides music to the state and to the British Army's formations both in peace and on operations. As one of the eight State Bands, the Royal Artillery Band supports London ceremonial duties including the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and regularly supports the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery at all the Royal Salutes in Hyde Park.
The Royal Artillery Band is based 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.
Formed in 1762, the 49-strong band is steeped in almost two hundred and fifty years of history. It has long been a tradition for its musicians to be competent on both string and wind instruments, and the Royal Artillery Band is as such the only British Army band able to perform independently as a wind band or as a concert orchestra, making it the oldest established orchestra in Great Britain.
The orchestra now performs a wide repertoire, with performances of Walton's Orb and Sceptre and Respighi's Pines of Rome in recent programmes. In the last few years the band has toured Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Algiers, China and Switzerland, and its rock group 'Voice of the Guns' has performed in Basra, bringing morale-boosting music to troops on operations. Other appearances include The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Plymouth's Music of the Night, Music on Fire, and the Corps of Army Music's showcase outdoor rock festival 'RHYTHM FORCE' with Jools Holland.
The Royal Artillery Band has just recorded its first CD New Horizons under the baton of Major Arnold, featuring music from Star Wars, Highland Cathedral and Aaron Copland’s El Salon Mexico.
This year the Royal Artillery Band has become the 'Official Military Band of England Rugby' for the Centenary year of the Rugby Football Union and can be found performing at all of the RBS 6 Nations home matches at Twickenham.
Telephone: 020 8781 3219
Email: office.raband@armymail.mod.uk