Students Enjoy Placement with Royal Marines Band

RNCM students Nat Martin (tenor horn) and Sarah Byron (saxophone) were given an insight into the life of the Royal Marines Band Service (RMBS) last month as they joined the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Portsmouth (The Royal Band) for a week’s musical training.

Culminating in a concert conducted by RNCM postgraduate Captain Sam Hairsine RM, the event marked the second time that students had taken part in the RMBS Graduate Placement Scheme following last year’s stint with HM Royal Marines Collingwood.

Part of a series RMBS runs for its student conductors, the concert programme included everything from Hesketh’s Danceries Set 2 and Kozhevnikov’s Symphony No 3, to world premières and lighter works, such as a Symphonic Selection from ET by John Williams.

Captain Hairsine said: ‘The week involves three days of rehearsals, in between which the students can get a feel for life as a professional musician in the RMBS as well as a tour of the bespoke training facilities in the Royal Marines School of Music. The Band Service spends most of its time in a musical role, fulfilling over 1400 separate engagements a year ranging from Massed Bands concerts in the Royal Albert Hall to string quartets and individual buglers.’

The RMBS recruits almost all instrumental categories as well as singers. Anyone interested in learning more can visit The Bands of Her Majesties Royal Marines website or email [email protected]. Later this month three RMBS bands will perform at The Royal Albert Hall as part of The Mountbatten Festival of Music. Click here for more information.

3 March 2017