Canadian Military Band

[Ace]

Having been a U.S. Army bandsman many decades ago, I like to keep my love of military bands alive by searching for band sites on the internet. Here's one that I really enjoyed:

http://www.militaryband.ca/eng/audio/index.html

Just click on the MP3 piece. These Canadian musicians really sound good. I especially liked the tubas and the musically tasteful bass drum playing.

[tubatooter1940]

Ace,
Thank you for making these cuts available to us.
My military experience was only as a Marine aircraft electrician that subbed as a drummer in the Mag 31 drum and bugle corps but as a tuba player I found this music stirring,tight and well performed.

[JB]

Can anyone enlighten what pitch tubas are used in Canadian military bands - is it BBb?

From what I recall seeing, mostly BBb - with the odd CC player scattered in.

[Ace]

Johnathan,

In 1960, the U.S. Fourth Infantry Division Band combined with the 21st Army Band (mine) marched in a parade in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. There was a Canadian military band there that marched with big BBb top-piston, silver plated tubas. What they are using these days, I don't know.

BTW, the City and military officials were really great hosts to our bands. We stayed overnight at the Jerricho barracks just outside the beautiful city of Vancouver, had dinner and breakfast a la Canadian Army style (yum), and enjoyed the interesting night life in the city. My wife and daughters have been back there several times over the years.

[iiipopes]

Speaking of the Canadian National Anthem, my uncle and aunt went to Canada on vacation last year and brought me back a CD entitled O CANADA!, a history and anthology of the anthem. Great historical information in the 20 page booklet, and 22 versions including the Mounties, Canadian Brass, and several historical recordings. Anybody who even pretends to stand up and sing it should have this CD to better respect and appreciate our northern neighbors.

In these days of terrorism, the fact that we have the longest peaceful frontier between our nations is nothing short of a minor miracle to be not just appreciated, but worked for to keep it that way even harder.

[XtremeEuph]

Speaking of the Canadian National Anthem, my uncle and aunt went to Canada on vacation last year and brought me back a CD entitled O CANADA!, a history and anthology of the anthem. Great historical information in the 20 page booklet, and 22 versions including the Mounties, Canadian Brass, and several historical recordings. Anybody who even pretends to stand up and sing it should have this CD to better respect and appreciate our northern neighbors.

In these days of terrorism, the fact that we have the longest peaceful frontier between our nations is nothing short of a minor miracle to be not just appreciated, but worked for to keep it that way even harder.

Very well said, I hope everyone reads this........eh

[Manituba]

There are currently 6 Regular Force "full-time" bands and 50+ Reserve Force "part-time" bands in the Canadian Forces.

In general, most reserve musicians use their own (personal) instrument. I have seen most kinds of tubas and sousaphones in reserve bands.

Usually, in the Reg Force, they will buy you the instrument of your choice (within reason... $$$) upon enrollment. There is no standard setup or key.

For example, the Stad Band (http://www.stadband.ca) use sousaphones.

Our band, belonging to a Rifle regmient, currently use 3+1 SILVER BBb and EEb tubas. (www.mts.net/~rwpgrif). Although, in our band museum, we have pictures of our band with sousaphones, helicons, saxhorns, tubas, and combinations of the above.

Other Reg Force Bands I've spent the most time with seem to favour Hirsbrunner, Miraphone, and Rudy Meinl BBbs or CCs, and Besson EEbs. Piston, rotary, brass, silver, etc.

I have not seen any F tubas on parade in a Canadian Band.

Our bands have 35 musicians each. Reg Force bands usually have 2 tubas (with some exceptions) and reserve bands will have up to 4 tubas (or more).

The only other band I should mention is the Band of the Ceremonial Guard, which provides public duties in the Form of Guards of Honour and Changing of the Guard ceremonies on Parliament Hill. Their band is usually around 100 musicians, with usually 9 tubas (3 EEb and 6 BBb). They use only brass 3+1 Besson tubas.

http://www.army.dnd.ca/cere_guard/

Thanks,
Chris

[greatk82]

In 1960, the U.S. Fourth Infantry Division Band combined with the 21st Army Band (mine) marched in a parade in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. quote]

Ace,
Were you in the 4th ID Band? I am just curious as I have been serving in the 4th since December of 2002. I am not currently with the band(medevaced home) but look forward to their return from Baghdad. I would like to hear any good stories.
TJ

[Ace]

TJ

No, I wasn't in the Division band. At that time, Fort Lewis, WA was a Sixth Army post and I was a member of the 28 piece 21st Army Band. It was an Adjutant Generals band attached to the post. Fort Lewis was also home to the Fourth Infantry Division at that time and it had its own band of 48 pieces. Sometimes the bands would combine into one large group, usually for parades off post. The combined bands marched six big Conn 20K sousaphones.

[LoyalTubist]

When I was in the US Army, stationed with the 298th Army Band in Berlin, Germany (1979-82), we were in an exhibition with a Canadian Forces Band, stationed in West Germany--this was a French speaking unit. It was a small band... I think this might be one of the "part-time" bands referred to in one of the earlier posts. The members of this group were said to be infantrymen. Would anyone know anything about this band?

[prototypedenNIS]

We had the artillery band from Edmonton, I think, play with us.

Yeah... we were schooled.