ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 19, 3 November 1939, Page 19

ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY

"The musicians shall be obliged to wait upon the commanding officer s8o often as he shall desire to have musick, without. any hope of gratification, but if they shall be desired to attend upon any other officer, they are to have a ducat per night, but in England halt-a-guinea." O ran a regulation governing England’s largest band — the band of the Royal Artillery, Woolwich. Largest in the whole British army, it is also the senior permanent musical organisation in Great Britain, having been formed exactly fifty years before the Lon-

don Philharmonic Society. Certain Conditions Near the close of the seven years’ war, in 1762, eight men were attested under certain conditions. The articles of agreement covered the following rules. The original octet had to be capable players on the violoncello, bass, violin, flute; and other "common instruments." "The regiment’s musick" must consist of two trumpets, two French horns, two bassoons, and four hautboys or clarinets. The musicians were regarded as actual soldiers under discipline and were clothed by the regiment. While the artillery remained in Germany, their pay was ten ducats a month, out of which they bought their bread. On arrival in England each musician was to have a shilling a day, the two French horns 14d. a day. Fivepence-farth-ing a month was to be allowed out of a bandsman’s pay during such time as he was sick and attended by the regimental surgeon. Musicians found not to be good performers on their arrival risked discharge at their own expense. This was meant to make the person who engaged the musicians careful in his choice. Bandmasters The first official bandmaster was Frederick Wiele (1777-1802), an excellent musician capable of mak-

ing his own military band arrangements, in addition to scoring for a string band. He was succeeded by G. Schnuphass (1802-1810), who, in turn, was succeeded by George Mackenzie, the first Briton to re ceive the appointment of army bandmaster. Mackenzie joined the band in 1795, and retired from the control of it in 1845, completing half a century’s service, and leaving behind him a magnificent team of fifty musicians. William Collins, principal violin and leading clarinet, was the next bandmaster, who reigned for nine years, being succeeded by James Smyth. The band numbered seventy-cne performers by the time he retired in 1881. Composer of Opera A naturalised British subject, Cavaliere Ladislao Zavertal, formerly conductor of the Glasgow Musical Society, was mext appointed bandmaster. Here was a man who was without doubt the most gifted musician the British service ever possessed. This onetime Italian opera composer in fact placed the R.A. Orchestra on the same level as the Queen’s Hall and London Symphony Orchestras. On his retirement in 1906 he was succeeded by Captain Edward C. Stretton, who commenced his musical career under Zavertal in the R.A. Band in 1886. That the plum of service musical circles should fall to such a fine organiser and able conductor will be readily understood by any New Zealanders fortunate enough to have heard the band on its visit to this country in 1913, for the Auckland Exhibition. This premier military band and orchestra, with its membership of ninety-five expert musicians, is in constant demand for state functions and Court balls.