ev

Back to THE BANDS page

The Nottinghamshire Band of The Royal Engineers (Volunteers)

Watch the band perform at
Buxton Military Tattoo 2010 on You Tube

The Nottinghamshire Band of The Royal Engineers (V) is attached to the 73 Engineer Regiment (V).
Following the appointment in January 2007 of WO2 Paul Thomas to administer and develop the project and the Band Sergeant Major, WO2 (BSM) Nick Shuker, the band commenced its musical and military activities in July 2007.
The band’s inaugural concert was held in St. Mary’s and All Souls Church in Bulwell, Nottingham 2007 and since then the band has flourished, fast becoming recognised as one of the finest T.A. bands in the British Army.
With a full diary of events leading the band to perform both at home and overseas, The Nottinghamshire Band of The Royal Engineers (V) is in constant demand, allowing it to continually utilise its musical diversity from within the ranks.

WO1 (BM) Simon Kerwin

Simon has been a professional musical director of brass bands, wind bands, choirs, ensembles and orchestras since 1991. More recently Simon has been professional conductor with The Trusts Waitakere City Brass (New Zealand), New Zealand Secondary Schools Band, St Kentigern’s Premier Symphony Orchestra and has conducted the Auckland Philharmonia on several occasions.
Since returning to Britain in April 2007, Simon has gladly accepted the position as Bandmaster for the Nottinghamshire Band of the Royal Engineers and Musical Director of the Yorkshire Co-op band.



Corps Marches

The Corps has two Regimental Quick Marches:
Wings (the preferred tune)
The British Grenadiers
The Corps has no official Slow March.

The reason that the Corps has two regimental marches is that prior to 1870 many in the Corps were unaware that authority had been granted for The British Grenadiers to be adopted as its Regimental Quick March so it quick marched to I'm Ninety-Five, an old 95th or Rifle Brigade march. However, in 1870 the Commandant, School of Military Engineering, who was one of those unaware of the arrangements concerning The British Grenadiers, directed that the Band Committee should adopt a popular air of the day as the Regimental Quick March. The Committee chose the tune Wings. It was originally scored by Bandmaster Newstead of the Royal Engineers Band to combine two tunes; one being from the air The Path Across the Hills, a tune of unknown German origin, and the other Wings, a contemporary popular song by Miss Dickson.

It is believed that The British Grenadiers tune originated from a piece entitled The New Bath, which can be found in one of John Playford's dance books dating from the 1600's. The first known performance of the tune by the British Army was made during the American War of Independence (1777-83) at the battle of Brandywine (11 September 1777) and it was recently adapted for the theme tune of the popular BBC comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth featuring Rowan Atkinson.

In 1889 the Corps was ordered to adopt The British Grenadiers, but it was not until 1902 that Wings was officially recognised.



Corps Mottoes

When originally granted by King William IV, the Corps' motto was Ubique; Quo Fas et Gloria ducunt, but by custom and practice it has been separated into two mottoes:

Ubique (Everywhere)
Quo Fas et Gloria ducunt (Where Right and Glory Lead)
They symbolize the Corps' service throughout the world and summarize the many Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.
 

The Nottinghamshire Band of the Royal Engineers (V)
can be contacted at:
 

TA Centre, Wigman Road, Bilborough, NOTTINGHAM  NG8 3HY

        Band Office - 0115 900 8667
        Email - nottsreband@googlemail.com

Back to THE BANDS page