The Band of the 15th Field Regiment, RCA

The 15th Field Regiment (RCA) Band is one of four Reserve Force bands in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, located at Bessborough Armoury in the British Columbian capital of Vancouver. It is a brass and reed band that is part of the RCA's 15th Field Artillery Regiment. All 45 members of the band are all reservists while being trained as soldiers and musicians.[2] The Band plays for a variety of events including military funerals, ceremonies, parades and Mess events.[2] The band maintains a full marching and concert band as well as other musical ensembles that include jazz combos and rock bands.

15th Field Regiment (RCA) Band
The band parading in downtown Vancouver during the 2014 Rogers Santa Claus Parade.
Active1934–present
Country Canada
Branch Canadian Army
TypeMilitary band
RolePublic duties
Size45-piece band
Part ofRoyal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
HeadquartersBessborough Armoury, Vancouver, British Columbia
Nickname(s)The Brigade Band
Motto(s)Latin: Ubique, lit. 'Everywhere', and Quo fas et gloria ducunt, lit. 'Whither right and glory lead'
Commanders
Commanding Officer/Director of MusicCaptain Cheryl McHugh
Drum MajorMaster Bombardier Eric Wong[1]
Notable
commanders		Chief Warrant Officer Jimmy Hamilton

The band's commanding officer (CO) is the unit's principal conductor and is responsible for the creative direction of the band. The band was formed in 1934, 20 years after the establishment of the regiment and just after it moved into its current base. Since 1994, the band has been the only reserve band on mainland British Columbia. 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.[3][4]

Directors of Music

The following is a list of directors of music since 1933:[5]

  • Will Edmunds (1934-1937)
  • Chief Warrant Officer Al Sweet (1953-1969)
  • Major Peter Erwin (1969-1984)
  • Captain Richard Van Slyke (1984-2004)
  • Captain James Tempest (2004-2017)
  • Captain Cheryl McHugh (2017-Present)

Role
The Band member in the full dress uniform of the RCA.
The Band of 15th Field Regiment with other military bands from the United States and Canada at the International Military Band Concert.

The band is a directly reporting unit of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group, and therefore supports all activities on a ceremonial level. Since 1994, its duties have expanded greatly to support to all reserve units in the province. It participates in all Vancouver area civilian and military parades, representing the regiment and the RCA by doing so. It also parades in Kelowna or Kamloops and even as far east as The Kootenays. The band has become a vital tool in public relations for the Army. Outside the country, the band has performed in community celebrations in Québec City, California, the Netherlands and Hong Kong. In 2003 and 2012, the band took part in the Fortissimo Sunset Ceremony on Parliament Hill at the invitation of the Ottawa-based Ceremonial Guard.[6]

International Military Concert

The band has participated in the International Military Concert in the United States state of Washington since the 1990s. It involves the participation of the band, accompanied from Canada by the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific, as well as bands from the United States Armed Forces, which have included in years past: the I Corps Band, the 133rd Army National Guard Band, United States Navy Band Northwest, and United States Air Force Band of the Golden West.[7] Featured music often played at the concert include the two national anthems (O Canada and The Star Spangled Banner) unit marches (Anchors Aweigh, Royal Artillery Slow March, and Heart of Oak).[8] Contemporary marches are also performed at the concert.[9]

Performing sections
Drum Major Eric Wong standing at attention during a parade in 2012.

The principal components of the band are divided into the following sections:

  • Brass
  • Woodwind
  • Percussion

The RCA Band is a 45 piece band that also performs in the following configurations:[10]

  • Parade Band
  • Concert Band
  • Quay Winds
  • Bessborough Brass (established in 1990)[11]
  • Locarno Saxophones
  • Jericho Tuba Ensemble
  • The Gunners Big Band
  • Scarlet and Blues Clarinet Quintet

See also

References
  1. "Military Gala 2018". VANCOUVER GUNNERS.
  2. Moogk 1988, p.56
  3. "15th Field Artillery Regiment Band, RCA". Altissimo!. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  4. "The 15th Field Artillery Band - About Us". www.militarymusic.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  5. "Band Appointments". VANCOUVER GUNNERS. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  6. "15th Field Artillery Regiment|The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery|2003". VANCOUVER GUNNERS. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  7. Cleveland, Marguerite (May 2, 2019). "International Military Band Concert in Olympia". www.weeklyvolcano.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  8. Sgt. William Brown (April 7, 2018). "U.S. and Canada come together for the Internation Military Band Concert". DVIDS. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  9. Sgt. William Brown (April 12, 2018). "A night of music, harmony". Northwest Guardian. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  10. "The 15th Field Artillery Band - Ensembles". www.militarymusic.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  11. "Bessborough Brass from Vancouver BC". livevan.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
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