Capt David Cole MVO MMUS ARCM RM. Musical Director: Capt Dave Cole David Cole received his early musical training with the Salvation Army and playing in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra on tuba. He joined the Royal Marines Band Service in 1967 from which he retired as a Director of Music after 32 years service. David studied conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. His career in the Royal Marines culminated in September 1992 when he was appointed Director of Music to the Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth and Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia. An appointment he held to December 1997 when the Royal Yacht was decommissioned in Portsmouth. The Queen honoured him by awarding him membership of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO). Following his long and distinguished career in the Royal Marines he spent the next few years in teaching as the Head of Music at Wellesley House, a top Independent Preparatory School in Broadstairs, Kent where he also continued his life-long love of sport and athletics. David was appointed Director of Music to the Royal British Legion in 2006. He is also the Assistant Producer of the annual Festival of Remembrance, a major national event broadcast on BBC television and radio. David's wide experience as a musical director ranges from symphony and concert orchestras, wind and brass bands, to choral conducting, big bands and dance bands. He is a freeman of the City of London and a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians Guest Conductors Captain Peter J Curtis MBE BMus(Hons) PGDip LRSM AMusTCL Royal Marines Captain Craig Burns GCGI PGDip LRSM Royal Marines Born into a Salvationist family, Pete grew up interested in music and thus in January 1986, having watched the Royal Marines Band perform in his hometown of Bath, joined the Royal Marines Band Service as a Solo Cornet player. On completion of 3 years training at Deal, he was drafted to CinC Fleet Band, London, where he travelled the world extensively. He then spent the next seven years serving as the Principal Cornet of both the Royal Marines Bands in Dartmouth and Scotland. It was during this time when he made contact again with the civilian Brass Band scene, firstly playing, and then conducting both Totnes Band and Tullis Russell Mills Band. In 1997, he was appointed as the Solo Cornet Instructor at the Royal Marines School of Music, Portsmouth. From here he was selected for the "Musician 1" Course and, following promotion to Sergeant, the Bandmasters Course. Having finished both Courses as top student with distinguished passes and gained two civilian diplomas - an Associate (Music) with Trinity College London, for Theory and a Licentiate with the Royal Schools of Music, for Conducting - he was presented with the prestigious Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Following promotion to Colour Sergeant in 2001, he became the Bandmaster of the HMS Collingwood Volunteer Band. During his two-year tenure, they were twice crowned "RN Concert Band Champions" and also "Best Overall Band" in 2002. During this time he was also studying for his Batchelor of Music Degree, graduating with First Class Honours and spent time as the Resident Conductor of Woodfalls Band and as Musical Director of Ocean Brass. A return to the Royal Marines School of Music followed, firstly as Academic Instructor before being appointed Chief Instructor of Higher Training following promotion to Warrant Officer. Having been selected for commissioning by the Admiralty Interview Board, in April 2004 he commenced the Senior Corps Commission Course at the Commando Training Centre. On completion and following promotion to Captain RM, he moved to the University of Salford, Manchester, working under Professor David King, to undertake further intensive musical study specialising in Conducting and the Psychology of Performance where, in 2005, he gained a Post Graduate Diploma. He also worked with the famous Besses O' The Barn Brass Band in Manchester and appeared as a guest conductor with Camborne Town Band. A fantastic two year period as the Director of Music of the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Commando Training Centre followed before stepping away from the Band Service to undertake a number of roles within the Royal Marines General Service, firstly as 2nd-in-Command of Base Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines during their 2007/08 tour of Afghanistan, and then as the Corps Casualty Officer where he was solely responsible for the Royal Marines Casualty Notification Process. Given his unique experience of the Naval Service Recovery Pathway and having worked closely with many casualties and their families, in June 2009, he was selected to be the first ever Officer Commanding of Hasler Company Royal Marines, a brand new Rehabilitation Company. He was tasked to create, establish and command this bespoke facility in order to accommodate, manage and administer all of the long term ill and seriously injured casualties within the Royal Marines, a role for which he was awarded the MBE in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours. Having returned to the Band Service, he currently holds the appointment of SO3 Band (Commitments & Personnel) - the Royal Marines Band Service Commitments Co-ordinator and Career Manager) working within the Headquarters in Portsmouth. In addition to this, having always enjoyed working with organisations outside of the Royal Marines, in January 2011 he accepted an offer from the Band of the Hampshire Constabulary to become their Director of Music. He lives in the Drayton area of Portsmouth with his wife Rachel and their 3 year old daughter Mosella but also has three older children, Francesca (22), Matthew (21) and Bethany (19), who all live in Kent. Craig joined the Royal Marines Band Service in 1983 at the age of 17, having received his musical grounding in several Brass Bands in his home city of Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire. After three years training at the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, Craig was drafted to his first Band at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines at Lympstone. Apart from a short draft to Fleet Band in London in 1987, Craig managed to stay at CTCRM for a further 5 years, his longest tenure in a draft to date. After a successful Junior Command Course and the subsequent promotion to Corporal, Craig joined the Royal Marines School of Music as an instructor in 1992. While in this appointment, he passed his Senior Command Course and was promoted to Band Sergeant in 1994, while serving in his next draft in the Band at HMS Raleigh in Plymouth. In 1995 Craig was selected to attend the Bandmasters’ Course at the Royal Marines School of Music, in Deal. This was to be the last course run at Deal before the School moved to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth in 1996. Craig successfully passed the course, and was subsequently awarded the LRSM Diploma in Military Bandmastership. On completion of the course, Craig returned once more to the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone. In 1999 he took up post as Volunteer Band Instructor in HMS Neptune, Faslane for his first sojourn North of the Border. This was to be a very enjoyable and productive 2-year draft, working with Civilian and Royal Navy musicians, obtaining a thorough grounding in the organisation, logistics, musical requirements, and conducting of a Military Band. While in Scotland, Craig managed to return to his Brass Band roots, playing cornet with and conducting Clydebank Burgh Brass Band, and also playing cornet with the Glasgow Co-Op Brass Band. There followed, between 2001 and 2004, three more drafts: to Plymouth, CTCRM, and back to Plymouth, where Craig took over as WO2 Bandmaster in May 2004. In 2005 Craig successfully passed the selection board for WO1 and was also awarded a Graduateship from the City and Guilds Institute in Human Resource Management. He was promoted WO1 in September 2005, and took over as WO1 Bandmaster in the Royal Marines Band Scotland in January 2006. Craig was commissioned Captain in April 2007 and completed his Senior Corps Commission Course at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Lympstone in July 2007. Craig then undertook further educational studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, studying with Clark Rundell, Baldur Bronnimann, and Mark Heron, and was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Conducting, before returning to the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in July 2008 as Director of Music. In September 2010, after an extremely productive and rewarding two years at CTCRM, Craig assumed the mantle of Supply Officer (Music), based in HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. Craig has travelled quite extensively throughout his time in the Royal Marines Band Service, visiting places such as the USA, many parts of Europe, Malaysia and Singapore. Throughout his career he has regularly represented the Royal Marines and Royal Navy at Squash; some highlights from this aspect of his career include winning the Royal Marines doubles and team event, and leading the Royal Marines team to victory in the Inter-Command Championships. Unfortunately a serious knee injury has now ended his participation in any sport. His appetite for sport is now fed by following the sometimes dubious and sometimes brilliant form of Stoke City Football Club. (Former) Directors of Music Capt Ted Whealing. MVO BA ARAM ARCM LTCL RM. DoM RMACB (2006 - 2011) Ted Whealing. His dedication and tireless enthusiasm combined with a superb musical talent was one of the major driving forces in making the concept of the RMACB a reality. For the past five years Ted has worked extremely hard promoting the band but has now decided to retire gracefully and pass the baton onto a new generation. Ted Whealing joined the Band Service in 1955 as a junior entry musician (alto sax, clarinet and violin). In the mid 1970s he attended the advanced conducting course at the Royal Academy of Music, and also studied under John Dankworth. On commissioning he served as Director of Music of the FONAC, Flag Officer Plymouth, CINCFLEET and CINCNAVHOME (Royal Yacht) bands. Following his retirement from the Corps in 1991 he became the Director of Music of the Royal British Legion, an appointment he held until 2006. Capt Ted Whealing 2006-2011