Royal Canadian Air Force Band

Royal Canadian Air Force Band
La Musique de Aviation royale canadienne
The Command Brass of the RCAF Band.
Active 1947 (1947)
Country  Canada
Branch Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
Type Air Force Band
Size 35 fulltime professional musicians
Part of 1 Canadian Air Division
Garrison/HQ 17 Wing, CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba
Colors     
Commanders
Director of Music and current Commander Captain Matthew Clark

The Royal Canadian Air Force Band (RCAF Band) (La Musique de Aviation royale canadienne) is a 35 member military band which represents the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently located at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, the RCAF Band provides musical accompaniment for ceremonies of the RCAF in Canada. The band is presently under the command of Captain Matthew Clark.[1][2]

History

In 1946, Carl Friberg, a wartime bandmaster working as a public relations representative in Vancouver, was invited to form a professional band for the RCAF No.2 Training Command in Winnipeg. It became operational the next year and was transferred to Edmonton as the "North West Air Command Band". The band's first high profile performance was during the Earl Alexander of Tunis's (Governor General of Canada from 1946 –1952) tour of western Canada in 1948. In 1955, the North West Air Command Band became the "Tactical Air Command Band" with and an increase in musicians took place, going from 35 to 55. The band was transferred back to Winnipeg in 1964 and was combined with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Band in 1968 which was made up of 90 members at the time.

The band was transferred to the newly-formed Air Command in 1975, with its headquarters in Winnipeg, and was renamed the "Air Command Band". During the reformation of the Music Branch in 1994, the band was expanded from 35 to 45 members. The band changed its name again in 1997 to "The Band of 1 Canadian Air Division" when 1 Canadian Air Division was formed. This band had 35 musicians. Another name change came in 2000 when it was changed back to "Air Command Band". And in 2011 the band was renamed "the Royal Canadian Air Force Band".[3][4]

In July 2018, the band took part in the changing of the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace in London for the first time.[5][6]

Ensembles

The RCAF Pipes and Drums, although a separate unit, is affiliated with the band.

The RCAF Band is made up of 10 main ensembles.[7]

  • Wind Ensemble
  • Jet Stream
  • Jetlliners
  • Large Brass Ensemble
  • Dixieland Band
  • Spitfire Kings
  • Command Brass
  • Clarinet Quartet
  • Jazz Combos
  • Individuals

References

  1. ↑ Force, Government of Canada, National Defence, Royal Canadian Air. "Royal Canadian Air Force - News Article - Captain Matthew Clark inducted into the American Bandmasters Association". www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca.
  2. ↑ Force, Government of Canada, National Defence, Royal Canadian Air. "Band Members - RCAF Band - Royal Canadian Air Force". www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca.
  3. ↑ Force, Royal Canadian Air. "Royal Canadian Air Force band - Canada.ca". www.canada.ca.
  4. ↑ Force, Government of Canada, National Defence, Royal Canadian Air. "RCAF Band - Royal Canadian Air Force". www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca.
  5. ↑ "Reporting for duty in London: Royal Canadian Air Force guards the Queen". www.cbc.ca.
  6. ↑ "Winnipeg-based Royal Canadian Air Force Band members relish chance to perform in UK - Winnipeg - Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca.
  7. ↑ Force, Government of Canada, National Defence, Royal Canadian Air. "Ensembles - RCAF Band - Royal Canadian Air Force". www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca.

See also

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