From the Director’s Desk

RAN BAND NEWS EDITION NUMBER 9 13 DECEMBER 2006

ON PARADE IN BRUNEI DURING TATTOO CELEBRATIONS

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

We reach the end of another very busy period of activity. Since the last edition of RAN Band News, the band has been particularly busy throughout the country and overseas. In July, we took up the challenge and successfully executed the mission to provide support to the Brunei International Military Tattoo. The response to the band’s contribution to this international tattoo and the support given the Royal Brunei Armed Forces by our musicians was outstanding. The band’s marching display during the tattoo in front of international guests and other musicians from around the world was ‘second to none’. The quality of the performance standard and unique Australian and Naval flavour of ‘All Hands on Deck; a Naval salute from Australia’ will long be remembered. At the same time as we deployed 66 Navy musicians to Brunei another 11 were embarked in HMAS Manoora (enjoying five weeks alongside in Honolulu with the Pacific Fleet Band) and our reserves were supporting ship commissioning ceremonies in Albany and Port Pirie, a Graduation Parade at HMAS Cerberus, and a Freedom of Entry Parade in Alice Springs. It is worth noting that had it not been for the support provided by our reserves to the Graduation Ceremony then none of the musicians from the Melbourne detachment would have been able to join the Brunei task. The reserve musicians are adding significant capability to the band, giving it considerable flexibility to meet a wide range of tasks and to extend its reach. The band’s contribution to the commissioning ceremonies for HMAS Perth (in August) and HMAS Sirius and the decommissioning ceremony for HMAS Westralia (in September), achieved nation best standards and once again attracted very considerable praise. Each of these ceremonies utilised a combination of permanent and reserve musicians and showed how effectively we are building capability through a cooperative relationship between our permanent and reserve musicians Also in September, other activities were conducted utilising combinations of reserve and permanent musicians; including Navy Week and HMAS Bendigo’s decommissioning ceremony in Cairns whilst at the same time another group were supporting HMAS Launceston’s decommissioning ceremony in Darwin.