'Friends of the Band' Newsletter Articles
Read some informative articles from past issues of our "Friends of the Band" newsletter, 'Check It Out!' Click Here if you would like to subscribe.
'Check It Out!' January 03
The AAB-M Heads To East Timor In February ‘03
Do you remember the huge "Tour de Force" concert that was held at Dili Stadium, East Timor, during the Christmas of 1999? John Farnham, Kylie Minogue and Doc Neesen were the first stars to grace Timor's shores and were ably supported by the Royal Military College Band, entertaining 5000 deployed troops. There are only 1300 troops in East Timor now, and few people realise that the Australian Army Band Corps continues to deploy two bands a year to the region, along with popular local acts and solo artists.
Now it's the Australian Army Band Melbourne's (AAB-M) turn, leaving in February with Melbourne based band Sneak. More than 60 personnel and ten tonnes of equipment(!), including staging, lighting, sound and instruments will be ferried around East Timor in a "Mog" (a huge Army vehicle) and ten land-cruisers. It will be a gruelling trip for the band, with nine concerts being performed in twelve days in remote locations such as Balibo, Batugade, Aidabeleton and Dili. The performances play an extremely important role in boosting the morale of the soldiers and it is hoped that the East Timorese will also be able to attend the concerts.
The days and evenings will be filled with travelling, setting up, sound checks, performing and packing up while the nights will be spent sleeping on stretchers and trying to avoid the mosquitos. There has been a vast amount of planning done in order to prepare AAB-M for deployment. Along with the hours of practice and rehearsals, every member must be qualified in weapon handling and must be physically and medically fit. This means LOTS of immunisations?(ouch!)
For some AAB-M members the deployment will be a completely new experience, while others will bring their knowledge of past tours with them. Stay tuned in the next edition of "Check It Out" for the post-tour run-down on the ABB-M's East Timor adventure!
'Check It Out!' May 03
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| Tour De Force V Rock Band in Dili |
On the 12th February 2003, twenty-five members from the Australian Army Band Melbourne (AAB-M) deployed to East Timor, via Darwin, to take part in a series of concerts known as "Tour de Force V" (TDFV). The contingent also included engineers from 21 and 22 Construction Regiments and civilian personnel such as Melbourne based rock band ‘Sneak' and stand-up comedian ‘Jimbo', from Sydney.
On arrival at Dili airport, the group was joined by members from the 5/7 RAR Pipes and Drums who, in addition to being an integral part of the show, were to provide mobile security and drivers whilst TDFV were in the country.
The humid conditions were a stark contrast to Melbourne weather, making the unloading of the 20 tonnes of equipment from the RAAF Hercules quite a challenge.
After five hours driving, TDFV arrived at the Moliana Forward Operations Base (FOB) and, after being briefed, fed and issued stretchers, were in bed by midnight. The next day saw the engineers and band depart for the Maliana Sports Stadium to set up for the first concert. Due to the very wet, muddy conditions, the expected set up time of an hour and a half, took over three hours. The evening's entertainment was well received by a huge crowd of East Timorese locals and Peacekeeping troops alike. Unfortunately, towards the end of the performance the light rain suddenly erupted into a massive downpour which created a nightmare for the pack-down. TDFV finally returned to the FOB for their two minute shower and, at 1.30am, were ready for a well-earned sleep.
East Timor brought a whole new meaning to the word "wet". Thankfully, 5 Aviation Regiment came to the rescue for the contingent's third concert at Moleana. They cleared out their aircraft hangar for the performance, which allowed all the equipment to be cleaned of mud and kept TDFV and the audience dry. The contingent were on the road again the following day, stopping at Balibo en route to Batugade for the fourth concert. The sun-drenched conditions made for an easier set-up but the humidity was still extremely high.
The engineers were on the road to Aidabaleton before sunrise the next morning as the performance was at 11am. The morning concert had quite a different feel but there was still an excellent audience turn-out. TDFV made their way to Dili and, over the next few days, were treated to a scenic tour. They experienced the hustle and bustle of the markets, the majestic 'Jesus Statue' and the United Nation's ‘Obrigado Barracks'.
Before long it was time for the final (and biggest!) concert before spending the final day cleaning all the equipment to Australian Quarantine standards. On 26th February 2003 TDFV departed Dili, landing in Darwin for a 24 hour stop over and customs clearance. The following day, after a five and a half hour RAAF Hercules flight, the contingent landed at Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne.
The tour was a rewarding experience for the TDFV personnel, with the performances playing an important role in elevating the morale of the military personnel posted far from their family and friends.
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| Band Corps Ceremonial Uniform |
The History of Band Corps Uniforms
The ceremonial jacket worn by the Australian Army Band Melbourne is scarlet and rifle green, and was introduced in 1975 to give all the Australian Army Band Corps bands a standard ceremonial jacket. It signifies the former association with the Royal Australian Infantry, in particular the Royal Australian Regiment. This jacket is based on the uniform worn in 1885 by the first Australian contingent to be sent overseas, the New South Wales Sudan War contingent.
The white pith helmet is worn as part of the ceremonial uniform. The current design was introduced in 1980 and is modelled on the helmet worn by the Victorian Horse Artillery c.1880, with the exception of the chinstrap. Mounted on the helmet is the badge of the Australian Army Band Corps. The motif features a lyre as the universal sign for music as well as a lyrebird symbolising Australia. The badge also includes crossed swords signifying the Corps' original affiliation with the Infantry.
'Check It Out' September 03
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| AAB-M Bugler at The Shrine |
25th April 2003
The Australian Army Band-Melbourne (AAB-M) played a significant role in this year's Anzac Day services. Not only did they provide musical support for the dawn service at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, the city's street parade and the ensuing Shrine Service, but several members were deployed overseas to assist the peacekeeping troops with their commemorations.
One member travelled to Bouganville on the 23rd April to support the members from the Australian, New Zealand, Fijian and Vanuatu Defence Forces. His ANZAC Day began in Loloho at 0330hrs (or 3.30am) with a bugle call to wake the camp, followed by a traditional dawn service. A helicopter then flew him to Buka at the other end of the island for a bugle call at the cenotaph in the war cemetery. After lunching with the Australian expatriates at Buka House, he returned to Loloho where he was driven into the jungle to the lone grave of a World War I soldier to play the final bugle call for the day. The following morning, he was again up early to play Reveille before the start of the "Lest We Forget" Run (in which he came 4th overall and 3rd in his age group. Nice one!)
Another AAB-M member travelled to East Timor and also played a significant role in helping the troops in Dili commemorate ANZAC Day, 2003.
Generations in Jazz
Mount Gambier
"Generations in Jazz incorporates the James Morrison Scholarship and the Mount Gambier National Stage Band Awards. This event is held each year in May in Mount Gambier, South Australia. It is a weekend for young musicians to perform in a competitive environment, to have good fellowship with other musicians and to experience the opportunity to see their peers performing in a relaxed environment. For many schools this has become an annual event, with over 50 different schools travelling to Mount Gambier in the ten years since its inception. Many of these schools have been every year - some have travelled from as far as Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland."
(source: http://www.generationsinjazz.com.au/
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The Commandant's Choice 18 piece Big Band was pleased to be a part of this year's Generations in Jazz weekend from the 16th to the 19th of May. The band travelled the 450kms to Mt Gambier on a coach and enjoyed a busy weekend of performances. They played to a variety of audiences including a group of primary school children, guests at the Generations in Jazz Dinner/Dance and over a thousand young musicians at the Finale Concert. The band also had the pleasure of performing with James Morrison, John Morrison and Darryl Somers.
Ceremony Marks End of Peace Keeping Force in Bougainville
Australian Army Band Melbourne's lead vocalist joined the Australian Army Band Brisbane as a guest on a recent deployment to Bougainville. The main purpose of the tour was to participate in the closing ceremony of the multi-national Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) which has been in Bougainville since 1998. It included troops from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Fiji, as well as Australia. The band also travelled to small villages and schools performing pop, rock and reggae hits for the locals as a gesture of good will for their future as an independent nation.
Highlights of the tour included a huge show for the troops at the Loloho Army Headquarters, spending time with the locals, swimming amongst tropical fish in the beautiful, clear waters and, of course, the PMG closing ceremony. As Peace Keeping Forces are now leaving Bougainville, this was obviously the last Army Band tour to the area, and everyone was thrilled to be a part of this significant operation.
A Little Information on AAB-M's Library Staff
The Australian Army Band Melbourne (AAB-M) sheet music library is another of those little known departments within the band that, although not in the public eye, is indispensable.
There are currently four library staff and their role is to distribute sheet music to band members on the request of the AAB-M's Music Director. This includes musical requirements for the concert band, marching band, stage band and the various small groups. There are over seven thousand compositions/arrangements in the library with many of them having instrumentation for full concert band. As the AAB-M often runs rehearsals for several different concerts simultaneously, it is not an easy task to know the whereabouts of all the music all the time.
The library also receives loan requests from other military bands seeking specific band arrangements. Managing the music library is certainly a tough job but, as the saying goes, somebody has to do it!
'Check It Out' March 04
‘The Minstrel Boy'
The Australian Army Band Corps Quick March
‘The Minstrel Boy'
The Minstrel Boy to the war has gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;
"Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"
The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"
Irish Poet, Thomas Moore (b.1779, d. 1852) wrote the lyrics to ‘The Minstrel Boy', which was published as part of his ten-volume "Irish Melodies" in 1813. He set the words to one of the most recognisable of Irish melodies, an air known as "The Moreen" which is believed to have originated in the latter part of the 16th Century.
With the advent of the printing press, the song was widely distributed and translated into many European languages, including Hungarian, Polish and Russian. Moore was the first to popularise Irish music throughout the world.
It is believed that Moore composed the song as a memorial to several of his friends who had participated in the failed United Irishmen Uprising of 1798. One died in prison, another was wounded and a third captured and hung. Moore combined images of the harp and the sword which are symbolic of the Irish union of song and war.
The song was a favourite of the many Irishmen who fought during the American Civil war, primarily on the Union side, in protest of the South's practice of slavery. The following third verse was added:
The Minstrel Boy will return, we pray,
When we hear the news we all will cheer it.
The Minstrel Boy will return one day,
Torn perhaps in body, not in spirit.
Then may he play on his harp in peace,
In a world such as Heaven has intended,
For all the bitterness of man must cease,
And every battle must be ended.
(US Civil War Verse)
‘The Minstrel Boy' also featured in the 1975 movie, ‘The Man Who Would Be King' and 2002's ‘Black Hawk Down'.
In 1982, ‘The Minstrel Boy', was authorised as the quick march of the Australian Army Band Corps.
Sources:
www.imdb.com
www.cs.rice.edu
www.aabcassociation.com.au
'Check It Out' June 04
Help The AAB-M Go Green!
Everyone knows that the Army wears green but we, at the Australian Army Band Melbourne (AAB-M), are aiming for a different kind of green in 2004/5.
As a reflection of community values, members of the AAB-M are very aware of the small part we can all play in reducing our impact on the environment. The most obvious action we can take is to monitor our use of paper and try to cut down wherever we can. Our Music Library has been doing this for some time, encouraging everyone to recycle paper and our Orderly Room distributes information, where appropriate, via e-mail.
Now it is time for the Public Relations Department of the Band to do our bit. The "Friends of the Band" Newsletter is a fantastic way to keep in touch with our supporters and audience, and we always strive to improve it's content and production. A number of our "Friends" have indicated that they have a current e-mail address which has opened up the possibility of sending our newsletter electronically. The advantages include a saving of paper/postage and being able to read the newsletter in colour. You can even print it yourself if you would really like a hard copy. If only a few hundred "Friends" can receive the newsletter via e-mail, it would greatly improve the efforts to reduce our environmental impact, although we will always be more than happy to send the newsletter to all of our "Friends" via the postal system.
If you would like to receive your newsletter via e-mail instead of by the post please send your full details (including mailing address) to the AAB-M Public Relations Department to ensure we accurately record your information. If you would prefer to receive your newsletter in the mail as usual you don't need to do anything. The process will take a little time to implement and, as always, we welcome your opinions, comments and feedback.
Playing Bagpipes for a Living!
Who Would Have Thought?
The History of Pipes and Drums in Australia
The first known presence of Pipers and Drummers in Australia dates back to the beginning of the 19th Century when the 73rd Highland Regiment arrived in Sydney Cove under the command of Lachlan Macquarie. On the 1st of January 1811 the 73rd marched through Sydney Town after disembarking from their troop ships. It is unlikely that there were any pipers in the colony before that time, as the population was almost exclusively English and Irish. As most of the Irish were convicts it is doubtful they would have brought any pipes with them.
In 1868 the Duke of Edinburgh's Highland Brigade was ‘raised' in Sydney and, with the inception of this regiment, the history of Pipe Bands in the Australian Armed Forces really began. To raise funds for their uniforms the Duke of Edinburgh's Highland Brigade staged its own Highland Gathering on New Years Day in Sydney and, although it was not the first Highland Gathering, it has continued to this day. Sadly the Brigade has not had such a long life, having been disbanded some years after its formation.
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| 3RAR Pipes & Drums |
Pipes and Drums in the Australian Army
The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Australian Regiment (full-time) were all formed in the late sixties, during the establishment of the Australian Army Band Corps (AABC). Prior to this time the regiment had military brass bands, which were to be lost in the process of creating the AABC. The battalions had a choice of fife and drums or pipes and drums. All but one of the battalions chose pipes and drums.
Today's potential Pipers and Drummers are required to attend an audition at the closest pipe band. All Pipers and Drummers in the Army are first fully trained as a Rifleman prior to joining one of the full time Battalions or part-time units. They then receive specialist music training from Pipes and Drums instructors at the Defence Force School of Music.
Royal Australian Regiment (Full-time)
There are now three battalions that have pipes and drums:
2nd Battalion Pipes and Drums (2 RAR)
2 RAR are stationed in Townsville, North Queensland. The war time role of the pipes and drums in the battalion is Direct Fire Support Weapons (DFSW) when the unit is in the field or on operations. When the unit is in barracks, the role of the band is a mixture of training DFSW, and pipes and drums.
3rd Battalion Pipes and Drums (3 RAR)
The 3rd Battalion Pipes and Drums are stationed in Sydney, New South Wales. The war time role of the pipes and drums is as Combat First aiders riflemen. Along with every member of the battalion, every member of the pipes and drums has to be parachute qualified; this is Australia's only parachute battalion. 3 RAR recently performed alongside the Australian Army Band Melbourne at the Victorian Seniors Festival Concerts.
5/7th Battalion Pipes and Drums (5/7 RAR)
The 5/7th Battalion Pipes and Drums are stationed in Darwin, Northern Territory (NT). The war role of the pipes and drums is as crew commanders and drivers of the battalions ambulance M113 A1 Armoured Personnel Carriers. 5/7 RAR Pipes and Drums are the only full-time military band in the NT and are therefore in very high demand in the Darwin area. Pipers and Drummers of the 5/7 RAR were also involved in the Australian Army Band Melbourne's 2003 Tour to East Timor, acting as drivers and security as well as participating in the concerts.
Reserve Units (Part Time)
Infantry Units (Reserve):
SUR Pipes and Drums, Sydney University Regiment (Sydney, NSW)
5/6 RVR, Pipes and Drums, Royal Victorian Regiment (Melbourne, VIC)
42 RQR Pipes and Drums, Royal Queensland Regiment (Rockhampton, QLD)
1/19 Battalion Royal NSW Regiment Pipes and Drums (Sydney, NSW)
2/17 Battalion Royal NSW Regiment Pipes and Drums (Sydney, NSW)
AUR Pipes and Drums, Adelaide University Regiment (Adelaide, SA)
Royal Australian Transport Corps Pipes and Drums (Newcastle, NSW)
Australian Army Band Corps (Reserve):
Australian Army Pipes and Drums Perth (Perth WA)
Many thanks to the Pipes and Drums Section, Defence Force School of Music for assistance in compiling this information.
Additional Sources: Defence Jobs