Bands of the Household Division (United Kingdom)

The Bands of the Household Division (commonly known as the Bands of the Guards Division) refer to the amalgamated five military bands of the Foot Guards regiments that perform in a massed bands configuration during public duties events in London, the national capital of the United Kingdom. The bands are:[1]

The Bands of the Household Division lead the procession of the Royal Family's return from Trooping the Colour in 2018.

The massed bands numbers around 250 musicians who are members of the Corps of Army Music rather than the named regiments. These are on show in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Similarly, both the Household Cavalry regiments have their own mounted bands and also their own regimental quick and slow marches.[2]

Trooping of the Colour
The massed bands of the Household Division during the Trooping of the Colour in 2007.

The Massed Bands and Mounted Band are featured annually at Trooping the Colour. In addition to the occasional pipers that join the bands, the presence of the Bands of the Household Division totals to approximately 400 musicians. It is responsible for performing the Royal Salute (God Save the Queen), providing music for the inspection of the line, the trooping through the ranks, and the march past in slow and quick time. One of the unique roles it has is the trooping of the band. This occurs once the Queen is seated, to which the command "Troop!" is given by the Field Officer. Upon hearing the command, three strikes on a bass drum and a playing of one note by the bands give the signal for the Massed Bands to begin. Under the command of the Senior Drum Major, the Massed Bands march and countermarch on Horse Guards Parade in slow and quick time. The slow march music is traditionally the Waltz from Les Huguenots while the quick march is generally a chosen tune. During the quick march, a lone drummer from the Corps of Drums breaks away to post himself just to the right of No. 1 Guard to sound the lone drummer's eight-bar "Drummer's Call". This initiates the Trooping of the Colour phase, by means of signalling the Captain of No. 1 Guard to cede his command to the Subaltern of No. 1 Guard. The call having been sounded, the lone drummer returns to the Massed Bands.

Spinwheel

As the Escort to the Colour slow-marches down the field towards No. 6 Guard to begin their colour trooping, the massed bands perform a maneuver unique to their unit and the Royal Marines[3] known as the anti-clockwise "spinwheel". It is a 90° turn in restricted space, and is the specific responsibility of the Garrison Sergeant Major.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rodney Bashford, Director of Music for the Grenadier Guards from 1960-1970, was quoted as saying the following about on the spinwheel:

"A 'wheel' is not an easy manoeuvre with even a small body of troops, and with a block of 400 men the normal wheel is impossible. The massed band therefore pivots on its own centre, so that certain outer ranks and files march long distances in a hurry while the centre and inner ranks loiter with extreme intent, or merely mark time. Yet others not only step sideways but backwards as well. This highly complex movement is called a 'spin-wheel', the details of which can be found in no drill book or manual of ceremonial. Its complexity defies description, and if the truth were known, many of the participants know not whither they go or, on arrival, how they got there. The spin-wheel is almost an art form and each performance of it, although similar in essentials, is different in detail. Most of the performers are adjusting their actions to suit the needs of the spin-wheel of the moment, having adjusted their movements quite otherwise on other occasions.[4]

Beating Retreat
The massed bands during the Beating Retreat in 2008.

The Beating Retreat is a massive gathering of the band's of the Household Division on Horse Guards Parade. It is based on a 16th-century military ceremony in England that was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle. It is held each year, on the Wednesday and Thursday evenings preceding Trooping the Colour, with the Massed Bands, Pipes and Drums and Corps of Drums of the Household Division, supported by The King's Troop and visiting military bands from around the world.[5]

Senior Director of Music

The first bandmaster to be commissioned was Daniel Godfrey of the Grenadier Guards, this being a personal award coming with a Jubilee Medal as part of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Honours in 1887.[6] In the Foot Guards, personal commissions would later be granted to Lieutenant Colonel John Mackenzie Rogan and Captain Albert Williams. As a result, on 6 June 1914, the term "Director of Music" was introduced to distinguish those with a commissioned rank from warrant officers.

List of Senior Directors of Music since 1914:[7]

NameRegimentTerm
Lieutenant Colonel John Mackenzie Rogan Coldstream Guards 1914–1920
Captain Albert Williams Grenadier Guards 1920–1921
Captain Frederick Wood Scots Guards 1921–1929
Major Andrew Harris Welsh Guards 1929–1938
Lieutenant Colonel George Miller Grenadier Guards 1938–1942
Lieutenant Colonel Jiggs Jaeger Irish Guards 1963–1968
Major Rodney Bashford Grenadier Guards 1968–1970[8]
Lieutenant Colonel James H. Howe Scots Guards 1970–1975[9]
Major Gerald Horabin Irish Guards 1975–1977
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Ridings Coldstream Guards 1977–1985
Lieutenant Colonel Derek Kimberley Grenadier Guards 1985–1987
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Lane Irish Guards 1987–1989
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hannam Scots Guards 1989–1993
Lieutenant Colonel David Price Irish Guards 1993–2000
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Lane Welsh Guards 2000–2002
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hannam Scots Guards 2002–2005
Lieutenant Colonel David Price Coldstream Guards 2005–2007
Lieutenant Colonel Graham Jones Coldstream Guards 2007–2011
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Barnwell Welsh Guards 2011–2013[10]
Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Roberts Welsh Guards 2015–2017[11][12]
Lieutenant Colonel Darren Wolfendale Irish Guards 2017–Present

See also

References
  1. Turner, Gordon; Turner, Alwyn W. (1994). The History of British Military Bands: Guards & infantry : Including the Guards Division, the Scottish Division, the Queen's Division. ISBN 9781873376089.
  2. "Regimental Bands: Their History and Rôle of Usefulness". The Musical Times. 54 (839): 28–30. 1913. doi:10.2307/906120. JSTOR 906120.
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4WmJzEgnhQ
  4. "The Massed Bands' Spin-Wheel manoeuvre". Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  5. http://www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk/retreat/
  6. Hadden, James Cuthbert (1912). "Godfrey, Daniel" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 120.
  7. "Bands - The Household Division - Official site". The Household Division. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  8. https://www.discogs.com/artist/5293413-Rodney-Bashford
  9. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1575672-James-Hakin-Howe
  10. https://4barsrest.com/news/37933/hathern-appoint-new-md
  11. http://www.thisislondontickets.co.uk/greetings-from-Lieutenant%20Colonel%20Kevin%20Roberts
  12. https://www.cenotaph-requiem.net/conductor
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