The Royal Canadian Artillery Band (french: links=no, Musique de l'Artillerie royale canadienne) is one of six Regular Force bands in the

Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

. Located at

Canadian Forces Base Edmonton CFB Edmonton (also called 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton) is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks". Hist ...

, the RCA Band provides music designed to support Canadian Forces operations, foster

morale Morale, also known as esprit de corps (), is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value ...

and

esprit de corps Morale, also known as esprit de corps (), is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value ...

, and promote Canada and the Canadian military nationally and abroad. The band operates mainly in western Canada and is de facto the representative band of the Canadian Army in the western provinces. All unit members are professional musicians in addition to being members of the military, which enables the band to adopt a variety of configurations to suit the musical needs of their audiences.

Ensemble Ensemble may refer to: Art * Architectural ensemble * ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album * Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary * Ensemble cast (drama, comedy) * Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the chorus * ''En ...

s can range from

jazz combo A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...

s, rock bands, and chamber groups, through stage and show bands to full

marching Marching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady walking forward in either rhythmic or route-step time; and, typically, it refers to overland movements on foot of military troops and units under field orders. Marching is often performed t ...

and concert bands.

History

The RCA Band traces its roots to the "B" Battery Band of the Royal Canadian Artillery in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

. Founded in 1879, it was composed of volunteer militia and professionally trained musicians from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, becoming the first permanent military band. It became the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery Band in 1899 under

Joseph Vézina François-Joseph Vézina (June 11, 1849 in Quebec City – October 5, 1924 in Quebec City) was a Quebec conductor, composer, organist and music professor. Vézina is buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-de-Belmont in Sainte-Foy. Early life V ...

, a prominent Quebec musician who was also the first director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and led the first performance of "

O Canada "O Canada" (french: Ô Canada, italic=no) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the mus ...

" in 1880. A second band part of the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery was formed in Kingston in 1905 and directed by Major Alfred Light. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the RCGA Band was stationed at the

Citadelle of Quebec The Citadelle of Quebec (french: Citadelle de Québec), also known as ''La Citadelle'', is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of both the Canadian monarch and the governor general of Canada. It is located atop Cap ...

. During this time, it was mentioned in an article of the ''

Montreal Star ''The Montreal Star'' was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It closed in 1979 in the wake of an eight-month pressmen's strike. It was Canada's largest newspaper until the 1950s and remained the dominan ...

'' as "justly known as one of the best bands in North America". The two bands were the only ones operational at the end of the war. In 1922, 20 members of the band broke off or created the Band of the

Royal 22nd Regiment , colors = Scarlet with blue facings (full dress and mess dress) , march = Quick: ''Vive la Canadienne''Slow: ''Marche lente du Royal 22e Régiment: La Prière en famille'' , mascot ...

La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment The Royal 22 Régiment Band is the regimental band of the Royal 22nd Regiment. It is based at CFB Valcartier (Valcartier Garrison) in Quebec and is assigned to the 2nd Canadian Division Support Group. It is the only French-speaking regular milita ...

as it is known today in French. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the band was for the most part stationed overseas, one of them being the RCHA Band which was reformed and stationed in Shilo, Manitoba, and then

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

. In 1952, the Royal Canadian Artillery Band was formed in Halifax under Captain E.R. Wragg, and in the following years it travelled overseas to entertain troops in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. In 1955 Captain Kenneth Elloway became the new bandmaster and was vital in highlighting the RCA Band on an international stage. He arranged appearances on BBC radio, invited guest performers, and led the RCA Band in the 1957 Bermuda Tattoo. After the

Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces took place on 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces. History A white paper was tabled in the Parliam ...

in 1968 the RCA Band in Halifax was dissolved and reformed in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. The RCA Band performed for over 100,000 spectators in 1988. The RCA Band was moved from Montreal to

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

on 4 December 1997.

Uniform

Rogers Santa Claus Parade 2013 (11162882273)

The RCA's musicians uniforms are based on the officers pattern of the ceremonial uniforms of the now dissolved

Royal Artillery Band The Royal Artillery Band was the first official, and permanent British military band (and former symphony orchestra) originating in 1557, but granted official status in 1762. Consisting of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments (and until 2 ...

. RCA musicians, when in

full dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, inclu ...

, wear the busby (not to be confused with the

bearskin cap A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and remains in use by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies. Bearskins should not be c ...

), with tall plumes attached to ferrule to the top of the front. Unlike the Royal Artillery, the RCA Band wears white plumes, and do not wear the cavalry spurs. Bandsman wear navy blue tunics, quilt lined with a standing collar, fastened with hooks. Navy blue cavalry-style pantaloons are also worn, with an RCA stripe in scarlet sewn onto outside of each leg.

Role

The role of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band is to provide a comprehensive, professional musical service to 3rd Canadian Division Support Group, 3rd Canadian Division, the Canadian Armed Forces and the government of Canada.

Performance history

In 1994–95, the RCA Band participated in the Canada Remembers program, which took the band on a tour of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. In 2000, the RCA Band was chosen by the Directorate of History and Heritage as the Canadian representative for the Kangwon International Tattoo commemorating the

golden jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

of the start of the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. In 2004, the band participated in a week-long tour of

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

, which was centred on its participation in the

Change of Command A change of command is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding or flag officer to another. The passing of colors, standards, or ensigns from an outgoing commander to a ...

Ceremony for Brigadier General Stuart A. Beare in

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...

. In the summer of that same year, the band performed in the

Fortissimo Sunset Ceremony The Fortissimo Sunset Ceremony is an annual Canadian military music event held on the grounds of Parliament Hill in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. The ceremony is a combination of the historical Beating Retreat event which originated in the Unit ...

Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their architectu ...

with the

Band of the Ceremonial Guard Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran *Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

and the Albany Marine Band. The band travelled to Sweden in 2006, where they performed in Kungstradgarden and

Strängnäs Strängnäs is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 15,363 inhabitants in 2020. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, one of t ...

as well as marched in the 20th Swedish Military Tattoo, which included a parade to the

Stockholm Palace Stockholm Palace or the Royal Palace ( sv, Stockholms slott or ) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia use Drottningholm Palace as their usual residence). Stockholm Palac ...

while performing pieces such as " The Voice of the Guns" and "Glorious Victory". In June 2017, the band provided musical support for a contingent of the 2nd Battalion,

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

, which provided the Queen's Guard in England at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Altho ...

, the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

and

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

. In October–November 2018, the band provided support for a contingent from the

3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR) is a regular force light infantry battalion of the Canadian Forces. 3 RCR's most notable service occurred in Korea, Germany, Bosnia and Afghanistan. In 2006–2010, the battalion was deployed ...

, which provided the

Queen's Guard The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official List of British royal res ...

. It was one of the rare occasions when the band wore the Atholl-grey

greatcoat A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...

s authorized for wear in the autumn and winter.

Organization

The band's

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

(CO) is the unit's principal conductor. The CO is responsible for the creative direction of the band and all facets of musical performance. The principal components of the band are the following sections: *

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 with ...

*Woodwind *Percussion The RCA Band is a 35 piece band that also performs in the following configurations: *Parade Band *Concert Band *Jazz Big Band (10 piece ensemble) *Windage Salon Orchestra *The Soul Orchestra *Jazz Task Force *Chamber groups **Woodwind Quintet **Brass Quintet Members of the band spend most of their time engaged in training activities when not delivering formal performances. Musical training usually includes up to three hours of individual practice per day and collective practice sessions in groups ranging in size from

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

s to full unit

rehearsal A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure t ...

Pipes and Drums

In 2008, for the first time in its then over 100 years history, Corporal Jim Douglas, who was a piper in the CF, was posted to The RCA Band as part of what is now the RCA Pipes and Drums, which as of 2010, had four members. In November 2012, it appeared in public for the first time to perform at a public concert in support of a charity. The Pipes and Drums of the RCA serve as the Canadian counterpart to the former and current pipe bands of the British

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

Music

The RCA Band regularly performs the regimental marches: ''

The British Grenadiers "The British Grenadiers" is a traditional marching song of British, Australian and Canadian military units whose badge of identification features a grenade, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the R ...

'' and the ''Royal Artillery Slow March'' The Royal Artillery Slow March was written by the Duchess of Kent, and mother of Queen Victoria around 1836. The tune of ''The British Grenadiers'' was first adopted for use as a regimental march by the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

(the oldest British regiment), during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. The melody was brought to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

King William III of the Netherlands William III (Dutch: ''Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk''; English: ''William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis''; 19 February 1817 – 23 November 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1849 until his death in 18 ...

and soon after became popular in the country and was known as the ''Royal Artillery Grenadiers March'' unofficially until 1882. It first appeared in print as 'The British Grenadiers' in 1740. The popularity of the tune 'The British Grenadiers' subsequently led to its adoption by all regiments who wear as their cap or collar badges, the symbol of the grenade. This included the Royal Artillery and as a result is now used by the RCA.

Notable members

The following are notable members of the RCA Band: *Captain Kenneth Elloway,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

trombonist The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

, and conductor. *Klaus Østby, Norwegian-Canadian musician. *William T. Wornes, Commandant of the

Canadian Forces School of Music The Canadian Forces School of Music, CFSM ( French language: École de musique des Forces canadiennes, EMFC) was an educational institution that supported the music branch and all Canadian military bands in the Canadian Forces. It was created ...

. *Charles Villeneuve, Supervisor of Music of the Canadian Forces from 1980 to 1984. *

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

conductor and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

*Captain Charles O'Neill, the director of the

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

of the newly formed

. *Pando Giuseppe *Frederick Edwin Leadston, trombonist who served with the RCA Band as well as the Vimy Band and the

Band of the Canadian Guards The Canadian Guards (officially known as the Regiment of Canadian Guards) was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October ...

.https://www.murphyfuneralhome.ca/book-of-memories/167115/Frederick-Leadston/obituary.php?Printable=true * Captain Matthew Clark, director of the

Royal Canadian Air Force Band The Royal Canadian Air Force Band (RCAF Band) () 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 accompan ...

since 2016.

References

Footnotes

* CWO (Ret'd) Jack Kopstein CD ' When the Band Begins to Play: A History of Military Music in Canada (1992). * CWO (Ret`d) Jack Kopstein CD & Ian Pearson `The Heritage of Military Music in Canada` (St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 2002) * CWO (Ret`d) Jack Kopstein CD & Ian Pearson `The History of the Marches in Canada: Regimental/Branch/Corps` (Hignell Printing Ltd, 1994).

External links

*
The Royal Canadian Artillery Band rehearses
by the ''

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as ...

''
The Royal Canadian Artillery Band
at

rcaband
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

{{Authority control Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Bands of the Canadian Army Musical groups established in 1899 1899 establishments in Quebec Musical groups from Edmonton