Royal Canadian Air Force Band


The Royal Canadian Air Force Band is a 35-member military band which represents the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently located at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, the RCAF Band provides musical accompaniment for ceremonies of the RCAF in Canada. The band is presently under the command of Captain Matthew Clark.

History

In 1946, Carl Friberg, a wartime bandmaster working as a public relations representative in Vancouver, was invited to form a professional band for the RCAF No.2 Training Command in Winnipeg. It became operational the next year and was transferred to Edmonton as the North West Air Command Band. The band's first high-profile performance was during the Earl Alexander of Tunis's tour of western Canada in 1948. In 1955, the band became the Tactical Air Command Band which coincided with an increase in musicians, going from 35 to 55. The band was transferred back to Winnipeg in 1964 and was combined with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Band in 1968 to become the National Band of the Canadian Armed Forces which was made up of 90 members at the time.
The other members of the band became part of the newly formed Canadian Forces Air Transport Command Band and was transferred to the Canadian Forces Air Command in 1975, with its headquarters in Winnipeg and was renamed the Air Command Band. During the reformation of the Music Branch in 1994, the band was expanded from 35 to 45 members. The band changed its name again in 1997 to the Band of 1 Canadian Air Division when that particular unit was formed. Unlike its predecessors, this was a downgrade as decreased in the number of musicians. Another name change came in 2000 when it was changed back to "Air Command Band". In 2009, a major reorganisation of the band occurred. An increase of demand prompted its leadership to create new subdivisions such as the Command Brass and a two member pipes and drums. As of 2020, both of those ensembles have been dissolved. In 2011, with the restoration or royal military prefixes, the band was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force Band. In July 2018, the band took part in the changing of the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace in London for the first time.

Ensembles