Royal Corps of Army Music

The Corps of Army Music (CAMUS) is a Corps of the British Army which was formed in 1994 following the defence review Options for Change. Bands wear the cap badges of employing Corps and Divisions or Regiments of Infantry. The primary role of Army Bands is to play music in support of the Army's moral component and to assist in its engagement with civilian communities. This musical contribution can be at home or abroad. Today's modern Army musicians are extremely capable and multi-talented. Not only are there marching and symphonic concert bands but almost any other musical ensemble from Strings to Rock Bands. The role of Army musicians is varied, from parading in marching bands outside Buckingham Palace to performing for the troops in operational theatres such as Afghanistan.

The formation of the Corps of Army Music was triggered by a Defence review known as Options for Change in the early 1990s and followed a 1993 announcement by the Chief of the General Staff that the number of Army bands was to be reduced from 69 to 29.

Her Majesty The Queen signed a warrant on 13 August 1994 to allow formation of the Corps of Army Music. This stated that it was Her will and pleasure that all officers who were Directors of Music in the various Corps and Regiments and that all Army musicians should transfer to the Corps of Army Music - now the newest and most junior Corps in the Army - on 1 September 1994.

It was a natural development that the home of the Corps should be at Kneller Hall in Twickenham, a site that encompasses the Headquarters the Corps of Army Music and the Royal Military School of Music. The school was founded by His Royal Highness Field Marshal the Duke of Cambridge, soon after his appointment as Commander in Chief in 1857, when the first class of military musicians was formed, a 'Class of Music'. The establishment was graciously retitled as The Royal Military School of Music in the Golden Jubilee year of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, 1887. A plaque to commemorate the Centenary of the School's opening was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 and, on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary, Her Majesty was further pleased to appoint Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex as Colonel-in-Chief.

The role of the Headquarters is to give direction and professional advice on Army music matters and develop and sustain the ethos of Army musicians wherever they serve in order to assist the Army's contribution to current and future defence capability.

Bands wear the cap badges of employing Corps and Divisions or Regiments of infantry and provide musical support subject to their availability as directed by Commander Regional Forces. Their major operational role is to provide a chemical decontamination capability in support of the Army Medical Services. The Royal Military School of Music plays a vital role for the Bands of the Army in shaping the attitudes, values and standards of musicians and in training those who are selected for the Bandmaster Course. Kneller Hall is also the home to a museum with a well-regarded collection of musical instruments and material for educational purposes: development of this collection is underway with a view to it becoming a fully-fledged Corps Museum.

The Future Army Structures review of 2006 saw the bands of the Regular Army reduced from 30 to 24 including that of the Brigade of Gurkhas, the only Corps of Army Music member of which is its Director of Music.

The Corps was further reduced in 2007 with the loss of the Band of the Royal Irish Regiment under NI normalization. There are now 23 Bands of the Regular Army.

Bands of the Corps

• The Band of The Life Guards
• The Band of The Blues and Royals
• The Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band
• The Light Cavalry Band
• The Royal Artillery Band
• The Band of the Royal Corps of Engineers
• The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals
• Band of the Grenadier Guards
• Band of the Coldstream Guards
• Band of the Scots Guards
• Band of the Irish Guards
• Band of the Welsh Guards
• The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland
• The Minden Band of The Queen's Division
• The Band of The King's Division
• The Band of The Prince of Wales's Division
• The Band and Bugles of The Rifles
• The Band of The Parachute Regiment
• The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas
• The Band of the Army Air Corps
• The Band of The Royal Logistic Corps
• The Band of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• The Band of the Adjutant General's Corps
• Army Big Band
• Corps of Army Music Sinfonietta
• British Army Brass Band
• Guards Brass Band

Corps of Drums/Pipes and Drums

In addition to the regular bands, most Infantry battalions maintain their own independently administered musicians, either in the form of the Corps of Drums (for English and Welsh regiments) or the Pipes and Drums (for Scottish, Irish and Gurkha regiments). The Corps of Drums of an infantry battalion will usually feature drummers, buglers and flautists, while the Pipes and Drums will be formed of bagpipers and drummers. These bands are descended from the drummers and pipers who led infantry regiments in columns (first documented in 1854 at the Battle of Balaklava), and who used their drums or bugles to sound orders on the battlefield. Unlike the regular bands, these are first and foremost fully trained Infantry soldiers who form one of the battalion's specialist units, such as the mortar, anti-tank or machine-gun platoon. As a result they are not part of the Corps of Army Music and in the case of the Pipes and Drums, are trained by the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming.

Territorial Army Bands

Prior to Options for Change and the formation of the Corps of Army Music most regiments, especially in the infantry, maintained their own military bands. This tradition is now continued by the Territorial Army, who retain regimental and corps bands. The TA Bands are not part of the Corps of Army Music. They are still under the direct command of their parent corps or regiment.

There are currently 20 TA Military Bands located across the UK and Gibraltar [1]:

• Band of the Honourable Artillery Company
• Regimental Band (Inns of Court and City Yeomanry) of the Royal Yeomanry
• Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band
• The Nottinghamshire Band of the Royal Engineers
• The (Northern) Band of the Royal Corps of Signals
• Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland
• Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland
• Band of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
• Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
• Band of the Royal Anglian Regiment
• Volunteer Band of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
• Band of The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
• Band of the Royal Welsh
• Band of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)
• Band of the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot)
• The Band of The Mercian Regiment
• The Salamanca Band of The Rifles
• The Waterloo Band of The Rifles
• Band of the 150th (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps
• Band of the Army Medical Services

Headquarters Corps of Army Music HQ CAMUS

Role HQ CAMUS is responsible for the policy, organisation and running of the Corps including:

• Guidance on the tasking of bands
• Professional efficiency
• Training
• Future development
• Recruiting
• Manning
• Career management
• Appointment of personnel
• Examining authority for trade qualifications
• Websites and Social Media

Amongst these tasks, the Director and his staff conduct advisory visits to all CAMUS and TA bands. They check that the bands are able to perform all their roles to a high standard and that they are correctly administered.

External links

• Corps of Army Music - on British Army official website
• HQ CAMUS