Jack Kopstein has launched a new website that features an encyclopedia of military band musicians, music, and conductors from around the world!  This is a very valuable resource, be sure to check it out!

World Book of Military Music

Contributed By: Jack Kopstein

The band has long been recognized as one Canada’s finest military bands. Their record of achievement is superb particularly in view of the fact that the band is a reserve unit of the Canadian Forces. The albums are representative of  the great music of the military band repertoire .

The Fifteenth Field Regiment began in February 1920 after a decision by the Canadian Artillery to formally establish a militia unit in Vancouver. Originally called the Fifteenth Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, the unit consisted of several horse drawn cannons manned by a group of battle hardened veterans of the First World War. Although there is no official record of a band in the early years of the unit, other sources indicate military bands performed throughout British Columbia as early as the 1860s. At the beginning of the twentieth century and throughout World War One, there was a community of military musicians that supported other Vancouver area militia units and there is no doubt that bands were a regular part of regimental life during the early years of the Fifteenth Field Regiment, too. The Canadian Artillery has a long history of supporting musicians and was the first regiment to establish a full-time band in 1879. By the time the Fifteenth Field Regiment moved into the Bessborough Armoury, a purpose built facility in what was then the outskirts of the city in the Kitsilano neighbourhood in 1934, a band was part of the establishment.

Over the years, the Band of the Fifteenth Field Regiment has served its unit at virtually every military and social function held where music has been needed. The band is an integral part of the Regiment’s identity and has contributed to its community footprint within Vancouver and British Columbia. In the early years, many of the musicians were active bombardiers who participated in regimental exercises with their own gun battery. Band members have served as Regimental Sergeants Major and one year, the band gun battery even won the annual shooting competition!

Since 1994, the Band of the Fifteenth Field Regiment has been the only militia band on the mainland of British Columbia and, as such, its duties have expanded greatly to involve the provision of musical support to all militia units in the province. Now, it is not unusual to see the band on parade in Kelowna or Kamloops in the interior or as far east as Castlegar or Trail in the Kootenay region of the province. In recent years, the band has become a vital tool in public relations for the Army. In its capacity as the “Brigade Band”, the group serves as musical ambassadors for the Canadian Forces performing concerts, marching in parades and entertaining the public at community celebrations everywhere in British Columbia and as far away as Québec City, California, Holland and Hong Kong.

In 2000, the band outgrew its facilities in the Bessborough Armoury and relocated to the Garrison Headquarters building near Jericho Beach on English Bay. Although still under command and control of the home regiment, the band functions largely independently as a self contained subunit and performs more than one hundred engagements annually.

Chief Warrant Officer Al Sweet led the band from 1953 until stepping down in 1969.  Major Peter Erwin followed CWO Sweet and led the group until 1984. Upon Major Erwin’s retirement, Captain Richard Van Slyke assumed the position of Director of Music and led the band until 2004. Captain James (Jim) Tempest has been the Director of Music since 2004.

Visit their website: http://www.militarymusic.ca/15fieldband/

Contributed by Jack Kopstein

TAYLOR BRANSON

Born in Washington, D.C., 1880 – Died in Bethesda, Maryland, 1969

Taylor Branson was a native of Washington, D.C., who like his predecessor John Philip Sousa, seemed destined for a career in the U.S. Marine Band. His father was a country fiddler who read no music and wanted his son to become a “real musician.” He arranged for the boy to study violin with Marine Band member William Santelmann, who would later direct said band for thirty years. After completing high school, Branson enlisted as a Marine Bandsman at the age of seventeen. He continued the study of violin (with Herman Rakemann) and began taking clarinet lessons with Andrea Coda and composition with Arthur S. Tregina, both members of the same band. He soon became concertmaster of the Marine Band Symphony Orchestra, serving as conductor during the Gridiron Club concerts. Branson was a pioneer in instrumental music broadcasting, conducting regular orchestral programs over NOF, the Naval Air Station, as early as 1919. He later introduced a radio program which was designed to benefit listeners who were invalids – the young announcer at the time was Arthur Godfrey. In 1921, Branson became second leader of the Marine Band and in 1927, he was appointed leader. In addition to American music, Branson programmed a great deal of music from other lands, including South America. One of his most prized awards, the “Cross of Boyaca,” came from the Colombian Minister, Miguel Lopez Mumarejo, for his “untiring efforts in the promotion of closer cultural relations between the peoples of the Americas, by means of the diffusion of Latin American music in the United States.” As a member of the prestigious Gridiron Club in Washington, Branson served as its musical director for over twenty-five years. He was also active as a guest conductor and adjudicator – in 1930, he was on the national high school panel which awarded first place to the Hobart High School Band, conducted by William D. Revelli. After serving with the Marine Band for over forty-one years, he retired with the rank of captain in 1940. At his death in 1969, Taylor Branson was survived by his wife, three daughters, and two sons.

Most of Branson’s marches were dedicated to the Marine Corps, including: Marine Corps Institute; General Lejeune; Tell It to the Marines; Marines of Belleau Woods; The President’s Own; Eagle, Globe and Anchor; Headquarters, U.S.M.C.; and Marine Corps Reserves. Others include The Times Picayune Centennial and Benjamin Franklin University. (Information from Kenneth Berger, John Burroughs, Jim Mann, Albert F. Schoepper, and the U.S. Marine Band.)

The 1st Co GFG BAND
1st Company Governor’s Foot Guards

Contributed by Jack Kopstein

When the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut passed the resolution in 1771, which formed the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard, no mention was specifically made of a band of musicians, although a petition by commandant Captain Samuel Wyllys in the Company’s first year of operation sought reimbursement for monies spent on fifes and drums.  Thus, it is clear that music has always been part of the Foot Guard.  It was not until 1904 however, that the First Company formed its own permanent band with its members a part of the rank and file of the Foot Guard.

Today, band members are enlisted personnel of the Company, full members of the First Company and of the State Organized Militia, who train and drill side by side with the Foot Guard’s infantry unit.

Since 1904, the band has marched parades and performed concerts at many prestigious events, adding the color, ceremony, and precision associated with rich military tradition. In 1907, the newly-formed band performed a concert at  a special ceremony held at Gettysburg, and in 1908, Foot Guard Bandmaster Francis Sutherland performed as guest cornet soloist with John Philip Sousa’s band when they performed at the Foot Guard’s Armory on High Street in Hartford. Through the years, the band has represented the State of Connecticut in several Presidential  inaugurations, at the New England Governors’ Conference, and in escort duties for foreign dignitaries and European royalty.

Led by Captain David Carlson, today’s band performs many concerts, parades, ceremonies, and special events throughout the Northeast. The band also participates frequently in joint concerts with college and public school bands throughout Connecticut.

Recent memorable band performances include the launching and commissioning of the submarine USS Hartford; the 350th Anniversary celebration of York, Pennsylvania; annual appearances at Hartford’s Riverfest; the “Convergence” parade at Lincoln Center in New York, the 225th birthday of Connecticut’s Old State House and July 4th parades in Philadelphia and Washington DC, and its Centennial Concert at the Bushnell Memorial’s Belding Theater.

Of course, every four years the Band participates in the Governor’s Inauguration Day ceremonies as the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard upholds its chartered duties and commitment to the Governor and the State of Connecticut.

For more information, please visit the band’s website at http://www.governorsfootguard.com/

The Bandmaster Files
Jack Kopstein

Military directors and bandmasters are often faced with nearly impossible tasks to provide music almost in an instant. As a former bandmaster, I can vouch for the difficulties associated with music requests on impulse. On one occasion I was requested on a slip of paper passed to me while performing with a small dinner group in the officers mess to play the tune “Drop me Jesus through the Goal Post of Life©” by country artist Bobby Bare. Fortunately, one of the musicians in the group knew the tune and within a few minutes he had one-fingered the tune on the piano. We quickly wrote down the simple 3/4 melody and a few chords, and I sat down and scored it out for our small seven piece group on some scrap manuscript paper. We blared it out to the officers who were dining in the main dining room on the next set. They applauded as if we had played Beethoven’s ninth, and I had a great laugh with the musicians.

The great John Philip Sousa no less had a similar request by the President of the United States when he was the leader of the United States Marine Band. President Chester Arthur handed Sousa a request while the band was playing at the White House. The President announced to Sousa that a professional dancer from Spain was to entertain the invited guests for a dinner. She would dance to the “Cachuca,” a word that was scribbled on a piece of paper. Sousa responded that he did not have the music for the tune, but the President replied to Sousa by saying, “Well, Sousa, I thought you could play anything,” and returned to his guests.

Sousa was dismayed by the request because he felt it his duty to honour all Presidential wishes when one of his musicians, a cornetist, rose quickly and declared that he knew the tune and played it softly for bandmaster Sousa. He immediately sat down and wrote out several main parts for trumpet, clarinet, and saxophone and told the rest of the band to vamp, meaning of course to just play the chord tones. Thus the piece was scored on the spot. The Spanish dancer appeared and moved to center floor, and the band burst forth confidently with the tune, both bcoming instant hits.

The American composer Meredith Wilson was a member of the Sousa band in the 1920′s. His wonderful musical ‘The Music Man” gave him an opportunity to introduce some of Sousa lore into his production, and as a result the “Cachuca” “was used as a dance number in the stage version.

2.National Anthem Debacles and Grace-Saving Events

It was only last year that a bandmaster in Grenada became confused about the national anthem of the Peoples Republic of China and the Taiwanese national anthem, “The Republic of China.”

Prime Minister Keith Mitchell promised an investigation into the diplomatic incident, in which the Taiwanese national anthem was played at the official handing over of the Chinese-funded national stadium. The gaffe by the Royal Grenada Police Force Band caused deep embarrassment to officials of the government and the Chinese ambassador and other representatives who attended the ceremony on Saturday.

A most unfortunate incident

Mr. Pierre called it a most unfortunate incident which had left the country’s prime minister and the police commissioner with ‘egg on their faces.’ But there were harsher comments from Grenadians on the streets. One man told BBC Caribbean, “I’m not accepting any apology from the police force; this is a sabotage by the police,,” and another woman observed, “Whether it was sabotage or mixup, I think it’s distasteful.”

The police received some support when one man insisted that they shouldn’t be made a scapegoat: “Somebody gave the police the national anthem to practice.”

Correct anthem played eventually

The correct Chinese anthem was played after Saturday’s ceremony to hand over the US $40 million facility which will host matches of the cricket world cup which starts next month.

China does not recognise Taiwan as an independent country, regarding it instead as a renagade breakaway province.

The two have played out their diplomatic struggle in the Caribbean, and Grenada had again switched their support.

They resumed diplomatic relations with Beijing in 2005, breaking off a 15-year relationship with Taiwan.

Prime Minister apologises

Dr. Mitchell, who alerted the hundreds of invited guests at the ceremony to the mistake, said it saddened a happy moment.

“On behalf of the Government and people of this very happy country, a country that recognizes the warmth of its friends and respect its friends, I deeply apologize to the Chinese Ambassador and the entire Chinese people,” Dr. Mitchell said.

The Colonel Bogey Fiasco

Programmes of music by bands often have to be clearly thought out . This is particularly important when a guest is from a foreign country. It is even more important as well if the country was a war time enemy. On May 5, 1980, a top-ranking visitor from Japan came to Canada on a formal visit. Everything went well until the Japanese minister agreed to a special arrival at the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. The military band selected for the occasion marched from the east gate and proceeded to play the COLONEL BOGEY march by Kenneth J Alford.

Here is the article which appeared in numerous newspapers in North America

If Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira was offended, he didn’t show it. But Canadian officials were red-faced when the armed forces marching band greeted. Ohira in Ottawa with the “Colonel Bogey March,” the tune whistled by defiant British prisoners of war captured by the Japanese in the film “Bridge Oa the River Kwai.” Ohira had not yet arrived yesterday for the ceremonies on Parliament Hill when the band began to play, but assembled Japanese dignitaries heard strains of the march. “We are extremely embarrassed,” an armed forces spokesman said. “In the long, meticulous planning for this visit, this particular portion slipped by.” The Japanese delegation has said nothing about the incident, the Canadian spokesman added.

If you are a band director with a story, please contact us. Names of the bands and the band directors will be edited out.

All information is subject to editing for length and content. We will not add your name to the article unless you want it to appear.

Interview with Roger McGuire, Pipe Major of the Canadian Scottish Regiment pipes and Drums, Victoria, BC

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

RM: I was born in Ottawa, Ontario and grew up in the Ottawa area. My father was on staff with the Army Historical Section at the time, where he was primarily involved with the writing of the Official History of the First World War. He had various side interests which included military music, and he was a huge Sousa fan.

He took me to concerts frequently. Seeing as Ottawa is the Capital City, there were lots of touring bands as well as local bands like the Governor General’s Foot Guards.

I also loved going to see the Changing of the Guard at Parliament Hill. In those days, the regular battalions of the Canadian Guards performed most of the time. I distinctly remember asking my mother why there weren’t cymbals in one of the bands marching by. I would have been about three I think. Anyway, the reason was it was the Canadian Guards pipe band! I thought it very strange that a band wouldn’t have cymbals.

The old Auditorium in Ottawa was where I first saw a British Band’s touring show. It was the place where the Ottawa Senators last won the Stanley Cup in 1926, and it was a typical arena of its day, filled, as I recall, with thick smoke.

Anyway, when the bands entered, one of the bass drummers was wearing a white bearskin! It was an impressive and colorful show, the Royal Scots Greys and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. It was around the date considered the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

A year or so later, the Black Watch came to town. When the band entered the arena, the combination of sight and sound was such that I knew I was going to be a piper one day. I believe there were 23 pipers in the band for that show. The big story of that tour was the fact that 9 pipers left the tour at one point to participate in President Kennedy’s funeral.

My mother was the kind who wanted her boys to try whatever activities interested them. I wanted to be a piper, but I was considered too young. So I became a highland dancer instead, which I continued with until the early teen years.
At ten years old, I finally began taking lessons on the chanter from Pipe Major JT MacKenzie of the RCAF Rockcliffe Pipe Band. He had been pipe major of the 2nd Bn. Scots Guards in the immediate post-war years, and a tremendous individual who was to have a huge impact on the pipe band community of Eastern Ontario. After retiring from the Canadian Forces, he and his family moved to Maxville where he began teaching in the area high school. His autobiography is a great read.

When he retired, I started taking lessons from Pipe Major Sam Scott, wartime pipe major of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa. He had a big teaching program going with dozens of students, but he died following a minor traffic accident in about 1972. For a couple of years, I went down to Maxville every Saturday, to take lessons from JT MacKenzie. It was an all day journey through country roads.

I joined a kids pipe band around 1972 called Camp Argyle #26. We were somehow affiliated with the Service Battalion but were not forced to cut our hair. Anyway, we had a great time and even made a trip to Scotland in 1974 and played in the World Pipe Band Championships in Grade IV.

Following my university years in the late 1970s, followed by an extended bout of travelling, I decided to join the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa in 1981. We participated in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1983. During the show we had to play one 12 minute segment of non-stop marches at 120 for the Lochiel Marching Team.

By 1988 I had moved to Victoria with my wife Sally. I joined the Canadian Scottish Regiment. In 1992 I was appointed Pipe Major. I set about trying to get our band involved in events all over the place. We went to Monterey, California in 1993, which was the beginning of what was to become a long series of visits to California over the next few years.

A tattoo started up in Memphis in 1993 with Major Michael Parker of Royal Tournament fame as producer/director. We were invited to perform the second year. It was a legendary band trip. Unfortunately the tattoo had cost a lot more money than it brought in, and there hasn’t been one since.

In 1997 we were invited to be the guest military pipe band at the Pleasanton Highland Games in California. We were to play some combined band pieces with the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Band. It was a magical weekend. The audience loved it, and we did a lot of performing together and socially things sparked also.

That was also the weekend that the Princess of Wales died. So one of our pipers played Amazing Grace at the closing ceremonies, and that moment was broadcast throughout California if not across the USA.

Following our performance with the Marines at Pleasanton, the relationship continued, and we performed together many times on both sides of the border between 1998 and 2001. In 2000 we recorded a CD together, but that’s another story.

The Canadian Scottish Regiment performed for the first time at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2004, which is the last time to date that a Canadian band has appeared in this prestigious event. In 2005 the band returned to Holland for the first time since World War II, where we played in the Netherlands National Tattoo.

Personally, I was a member of the Canadian Forces Pipe Band for both the 60th Anniversary of Holland celebrations in 2005 and also the Vimy Ridge Monument Rededication in 2007.

While a Pipe Major, I have also been involved with a society promoting the vision of creating a west coast international military music festival or tattoo since about 1993. Several events took place during 1994 when the Commonwealth Games occurred in Victoria.

Things began to get rolling in 1998 when we were able to stage concerts involving the Prince of Wales’s Division (Clive) Band along with British Columbia bands, and later the US Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus. The year 1999 was a particularly good one with concerts by the Grenadier Guards Band, Welsh Guards Band, 1st Bn. The Highlanders Pipes and Drums and a Sunset Tattoo commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Fort Victoria.

Despite a record of successful events, financial support was slow in coming. With very modest financial support we held a festival for most years between 2000 and 2006. Bands we were able to include are a long list, including a return performance by the US Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus, Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band, US Navy Band Northwest, French Navy Pipe Band, Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, Invercargill Caledonia from New Zealand, and numerous Canadian regular force and reserve bands.

With the opening of a new modern arena in Victoria just over 2 years ago, we now have a facility in the community in which to stage a world-class tattoo. Consequently plans for “The Pacific Tattoo” are underway with the intention that the first performance will take place in 2010. Date and venue has not been set, but will be passed along as soon as they are known.

Q. What is your daily band routine?

RM: Owing to financial circumstances, as well as being a “Reserve” band, we rehearse one evening a week for 3 hours.

Q. Do you select the music played for concerts or was it done by committee?

RM: I do it

Q. Are auditions for new band members done collaboration with section leaders?

RM: Yes, we have auditions.

Q. How important are recordings to you and the band?

RM: Not a factor at the moment. Making a CD was a rewarding and time consuming effort, but circumstances have not allowed us to do another recording since we made Canadian Bagpipes, American Brass.

Q. How important to you are the various small ensembles that are often employed?

RM: In our case, we occasionally have the traditional 4 pipers for a mess dinner. Most of the time we are full band.

Q. What is your view on the future of pipes and drums and military bands in the world?

RM: We are in a period of transition for sure. Playing standards are going up, but there are lots of internal and external things that make it difficult to practice and perform as often as we would like. I believe in retaining the traditional elements of performance and dress as well as acknowledging there is a “progressive” pipe music direction going on. At one time you could predict what the first 20 tunes a new piper might learn. Not so today, with a distinctive “civilian” approach. When I started, it was considered mandatory to acquire the Scots Guards manual.
Full dress is an important component of the traditions we are upholding. We have very stringent control over what kit we purchase, and how its to be worn. There is a lot of shoddy items being produced, as buying the best means paying what at times seems extortionate amounts of money.

Q. What type of music do you feel most comfortable with?

RM: Personally I am a fan of traditional military music. Some Jazz, Pop and Broadway is ok, but I’d prefer that it doesn’t dominate a performance.

This may be the opportunity to make a comment about the playing of marches in touring performances or concerts. Seems that they are often viewed as being nothing more than a musical accompaniment for getting the band on or off the stage or parade square. I consider it to be an artistic flaw to cut off a march without playing it in full in anything other than a parade where the music is being used for the marching of troops. In that situations it’s understandable. Otherwise it’s not.

Not so long ago I heard a performance where the narrator gave a 30 second illustration of “Semper Fidelis” which was followed by the band performing the march for no more than 30 seconds and cutting off! (I think I have a tape somewhere to prove it.)

In the brass-reed band world, medleys are another area I’m not fond of. I’d rather hear one or two full selections rather than 10-20 snippets jammed into a 5 minute medley. Imaginatively conceived medleys can be effective, but most medleys leave me cold.

Finally on combined pipes with brass-reed, the feature items are particularly popular with audiences worldwide. With the rising pitch of pipe chanters over the past two decades or more it has become mandatory for bands to consider adopting two differently pitched chanters. “Orchestral” chanters are being manufactured to blend with brass-reed and other instruments. Especially in hot weather, the pipe chanter pitch rises to the point where the “unsuccessful blend” becomes admittedly painful to listen to.

Q. What is your opinion of the world of music today?

RM: Exciting time, for sure. If there is one general thing I would like to see happen though, it’s to see bands not lose sight of their military roots. Marches should be a staple of most types of performance, and light classics. I’ve heard concert performances where the objective seemed to be “let’s show how we could be mistaken for anything but a military band”.