RAF Voluntary Bands are voluntary

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

pipe bands A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, a ...

that provide music for ceremonial and social occasions within the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

, as well as local and national charities.RAF Voluntary Bands Association
Retrieved 8 November 2010. In contrast to the RAF's professional musical bands (the RAF Central Band, the RAF Regiment Band and the RAF College Band), the bands are formed of volunteer musicians from RAF stations, other services and members of the local community.

RAF Voluntary Bands Association

Numerous bands were founded at the formation of the RAF on 1 April 1918. Several can trace their roots to Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps volunteer musicians.RAF Massed Voluntary Bands concert
, Retrieved 8 November 2010. The bands are centrally administered through the RAF Voluntary Band Association which, co-ordinates policy and activities and represents its members on those occasions when they are called upon to participate in major public events. Each of the current nine voluntary bands in the RAF are located on a geographical basis at stations throughout the United Kingdom and Cyprus: *

RAF Akrotiri RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...

(Cyprus) *

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney. The statio ...

(Oxfordshire) *

RAF Cosford Royal Air Force Cosford or RAF Cosford (formerly DCAE Cosford) is a Royal Air Force station in Cosford, Shropshire, just to the northwest of Wolverhampton and next to Albrighton. History Origins RAF Cosford opened in 1938 as a joint aircraf ...

(Midlands) * RAF Halton (London) *

RAF Honington Royal Air Force Honington or more simply RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regim ...

(East Anglia) *

RAF Lossiemouth Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland. Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the R ...

(Scotland) *

RAF St Athan Ministry of Defence St Athan or MOD St Athan (Welsh: Maes awyr Sain Tathan), formerly known as RAF St Athan, is a large Ministry of Defence unit near the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. It was the designated site for ...

(Wales) * RAF Waddington Voluntary Band (Central England) * RAF Wyton Area Voluntary Band (Eastern England) *

(Oxfordshire) To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the RAF in 2008, a massed band event featuring members from all bands was held at

Symphony Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 June 1991, although it had been in use since 15 April 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hos ...

RAF Pipe Bands Association

There are five voluntary RAF

spread across the UK: three in Scotland and two in England. These are administered through the RAF Pipe Bands Association RAF Pipe Bands Association
Retrieved 8 November 2010. These are currently located at: * RAF Halton *

RAF Kinloss Royal Air Force Kinloss or RAF Kinloss is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near the village of Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland. The RAF station opened on 1 April 1939 and served as a training establishme ...

* RAF Leuchars *

RAF Waddington Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target ...

The pipe bands compete in several contests, and the Pipe Band Association holds its own annual contest for members which includes solo events as well as band contests.Pipe Band contests
, Retrieved 8 November 2010.

References

{{reflist

External links

RAF Voluntary Bands AssociationRAF Pipe Bands Association
Bands of the Royal Air Force

RAF Voluntary Bands Association

RAF Pipe Bands Association

See also

References

External links