Chatsworth Country Fair 2011
Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th September
The REME Band
Grand Ring each day
THE BAND OF THE CORPS OF ROYAL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
The Band appears by kind permission of
The Director Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (Army)
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed on 1st October 1942. Throughout the first five years of its existence, musical support for all Corps functions had been provided by a small group of musicians playing drums and fifes. As the Corps expanded the demand for this group began to increase and it was decided to appoint a Bandmaster for the purposes of developing the skills of the existing musicians and to recruit others. The Band remained unrecognized by the military authorities until 1947 when War Office Letter 27/GEN/2935 (AG1A) dated 23rd September gave authority for Staff Band status.
The Corps Band’s first Director of Music was Captain Denis Plater who had transferred from the Royal Tank Regiment. Its establishment had initially been set at one Band Sergeant, two Corporals, three Lance Corporals and thirty-four Musicians and as the musical standards began to improve, the Band soon started to undertake engagements across the whole of the British Isles.
Today the REME Band’s expertise is seen and heard all over the world and it enjoys an outstanding reputation for musical excellence. In past years the Band has toured extensively in the USA, Canada, Germany, Bosnia, Italy, Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, India and throughout the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Band possesses a diverse range of musical ensembles all of which are in frequent demand. These include a Concert Band, Marching Band, Big Band, Dance Band, Soul Band, Pop Group, Chamber Groups, Fanfare Trumpets and a Disco. In addition to their musical duties, the musicians have a role assisting the Army Medical Services in times of emergency.
The Director of Music, Captain Richard Watterson enlisted in 1988 and joined the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers as a Trumpet player. In 1995, he was selected for the three-year Bandmaster Course at Kneller Hall. He graduated in 1998 with prizes for best fanfare, the Principal Director of Music’s prize for conducting and a Bachelor of Arts (Music) degree. In January 1999, Captain Watterson was appointed Bandmaster to the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, a unique post in Army Music. He returned to the UK in January 2001 to take up the appointment of Bandmaster of the Band of the Adjutant General’s Corps. On completion of the 5 month Household Cavalry equitation course in July 2003 he took up the prestigious post of Bandmaster of the Band of the Blues and Royals.
He was commissioned in October 2005 and assumed his first appointment as Director of Music of the King’s Division Normandy Band. Following the restructuring of Army bands in 2006 he became the first Director of Music of the newly formed Band of The King’s Division. In April 2008 Captain Watterson was posted to Germany to assume the appointment of Director of Music British Forces Germany, a staff position within the Corps of Army Music based in Rheindahlen. In his spare time, amongst other things, he is a keen golfer and alpine skier and when possible likes to retreat to his small bolt-hole on the southern coast of Spain. Captain Watterson took over as Director of Music REME band in April 2010.
The Bandmaster is Warrant Officer Class One Neil Skipper. We are delighted to welcome the REME band to Chatsworth for the first time.