The Slovene Military Orchestra (another term for the ''Band of the Slovene Army'',
Slovene: Orkester Slovenske vojske) is the only musical ensemble of the
Slovenian Armed Forces
The Slovenian Armed Forces or Slovenian Army (SAF; sl, Slovenska vojska; 'SV'' are the armed forces of Slovenia. Since 2003, it is organized as a fully professional standing army. The Commander-in-Chief of the SAF is the President of the Repu ...
and a unit of the General Staff of the SV in
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, being first in the order of battle in the SV. Also known by its acronym, the SAF Band, it consists musicians with mainly an academic background. Anyone who wants to play in the orchestra must have at least a 1/5 of the required level of education in the field of music, and must successfully perform at an audition. Training also includes, as with all other SV units, drill and marching precision practice.
It was established in April 1996, with its first conductor being Franc Rizmal who served until October 2000. The tradition of
military bands
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
on Slovenian territory dates back to the second half of the 18th century with the SAF Band playing an integral part in that history in being the first unified Slovenian military band.
Tasks
The band engages in the following daily tasks:
*Ceremonial Military Protocol Events
*Marching Parades
*Memorial ceremonies
*Charity and promotional concerts
*International Tattoo
In fulfilling these goals, the band sometimes cooperates with the
Protocol Unit of the SV. An example of this relationship was seen publicly in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
in 2013, during the
Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo
The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is an annual military music event and military tattoo held in Moscow on Red Square. Participating in the festival are Russian and foreign military bands, folk groups, and honor guard units o ...
which took place that year.
Each year, the band plans concerts on national holidays (Slovenian Armed Forces Day,
Statehood Day,
Independence and Unity Day
Independence and Unity Day ( sl, Dan samostojnosti in enotnosti) is a Slovenian national holiday that occurs on every 26 December to commemorate the official proclamation of the Slovenian independence referendum on 26 December 1990. The referendum ...
,
Sovereignty Day Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
and
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
for example.)
Composition
The SAF Band has several different ensembles. It is composed of 58 personnel, 48 of which are actual musicians while the other 10 are part of the band's staff. The band is divided into particular sections such as the following:
*
Concert Band
A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...
- The largest band. Performs at symphonic venues.
*Ceremony Band - Participates in receptions with military honors
*Big Band - Conducts concerts with various soloists and plays at various charity dances and events.
*Chamber Ensembles - Ensembles grouped together based on the instrument. They are indispensable for the opening of exhibitions and other cultural and artistic events.
**Brass quintet
**Clarinet quartet
**Brass trio
Uniform
The uniform of the SAF Military Band is worn by the band members at concerts or when representing the SAF Military Band. SAF Military Band uniform resembles the basic service dress, but is complemented by a golden yellow shoulder cord, coat and raincoat.
Gallery
File:Slovesnost na trgu Leona Štuklja ob začetku mednarodne vojaške vaje Zvita podlasica 2014 15.jpg, The band in a parade format
File:Zdravljica.ogg, Performing the Slovenian National Anthem
File:2014 05 15 Dan SV Kranj 14.jpg,
File:Dražgoše 2014.ogv, At a memorial ceremony at the Monument to the Battle of Dražgoše
File:Na uradnem obisku v Sloveniji ministrica za obrambo Črne gore dr. Milica Pejanović-Đurišić 02.jpg, The band in a concert format
References
External links
{{Commons category, Slovene Military Orchestra
Stran Orkestra Slovenske vojskeKoncert Orkestra Slovenske vojske, Cankarjev dom 2012 ''(YouTube)''Show program orkestra Slovenske vojske v Cankarjevem domu ob proslavi dneva SV 2009 ''(YouTube)''
1996 establishments in Slovenia
Military bands
Musical groups established in 1996
Military of Slovenia
Military units and formations established in 1996
Military units and formations of Slovenia