Singapore Armed Forces Band

The Singapore Armed Forces Band (commonly known as the SAF Band) form the musical arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. Playing a vital role in ceremonial parades and ceremonies, the SAF Band provides musical support for parades such as the National Day Parade, SAF Day Parade, Passing Out Parades, Change of Command Parades and other military duties. Other than discharging ceremonial duties, the SAF Band also presents public concerts that aim to bring a wide range of music to the populace. They also seek to build up the band's music repertoire into an extensive array of styles and variety.
Through the years, the SAF Band have worked with several distinguished conductors and soloists including Frank Renton, Steven Mead, John Sharpley, Evelyn Glennie, Jan Van der Roost, Toshio Akiyama, Yasuhide Ito, Eric Whitacre and Hardy Mertens. More recently, the band was conducted by Philip Sparke, Frank Ticheli, James Barnes, Roger Swift, Douglas Bostock, Prof Allan McMurray and Prof. James F Keene of the University of Illinois.
History.
Singapore's military music would begin a year before it became self-governing. The formation of the Singapore Military Forces Staff Band on 1 June 1958 spelled the beginning of the nation's love affair with military bands. From this core group of 45 musicians would come five generations of military musicians from the country’s armed services.
WO1 Frederick Roy, the 15th/19th Hussars bandmaster became the first Director of Music of the SMFSB, a duty he did until 1962. The band's main duty then was as musical support to the Singapore Infantry Regiment's activities. One of his young musicians, SSGT Abdullah Ahmad, was sent to the Royal Military School of Music for further training, later becoming a warrant officer upon graduating. The band's first composition, the "Singapore Infantry Regiment March", later became the Singapore Army's official march.
Lt. Edward Crowcroft of the York and Northumberland Brigade Band succeeded WO1 Roy in September 1962 as Bandmaster and Director of Music. By November, it became the Singapore Infantry Regiment Band, and WO1 Arthur Edward Hollowell, DOM of the Band of the Parachute Brigade, replaced Lt. Crowcroft. He became a captain by commission and led the band to its first overseas visit in 1964: the band's visit to Kuala Lumpur as part of the Merdeka Parade on 31 August that year.
A year after, WO1 Ahmad was appointed the Singapore Armed Forces Director of Music, becoming a lieutenant, and later as captain. He led the new SIR Band to the very first National Day Parade on the Padang the following year. By 1968, the band made its first recording under his direction.
Two years after, the Band of the Singapore Armed Forces was formed, with joint headquarters with the SIR Band at HQ 1 Singapore Infantry Btn., Beach Road Camp. They both later moved to HQ 3 SIB at Ulu Pandan Camp and later at 5 SIB at Portsdown Camp, and by 1972, the latter band was led by a Republic of Singapore Police officer, WO1 Ervin Dragon.
By January the next year, a new band, the NSF (National Service-Full-time) Band, was formed at Telok Pagu Camp at Changi. WO2 Alan Teo became its first conductor.
May saw the first name change for the bands. They were renamed as
Alan Teo, by then a captain, left the DOM post at 2 SIB band by July that year, to join the then newly created SAF Music and Drama Company. Tonni Wei, then a sergeant and playing with one of the bands, was then studying at the Royal Military School of Music, graduating in October 1976 to become the bandmaster of 2 SIB Band, was commissioned as a second lieutenant (2LT)
In 1975, the 3 SIB Band soon moved to Jurong Camp, the 3rd Division headquarters.
In January 1977, Tonni Wei joined the MDC and Alan Teo returned to his old post. By February, 3 SIB Band became the SIR Band yet again, and Teo joined the now renamed Band of the Republic of Singapore Navy-the former 2 SIB Band-to Sembawang Camp and the RSN School of Naval Training. The SIR Band would later relocate itself at Jurong Camp that May. Peter Yan, then a musician sergeant with the army, and a part of the SIR Band, was then studying at Uxbridge at the RAF School of Music for Director of Music training. He graduated the next year and soon joined the RSN Band as its director.
CPT Ahmad retired from his post in May 1979.
In 1981, SGT Terry Seah Cheong Lock, who started his military music career earlier in 1975 with the Singapore Armoured Regiment Band, returned to Singapore from the UK after graduating from the Royal Air Force School of Music in England. He was commissioned as an officer upon his return, as well as being appointed the new Director of Music of SIR Band. CPT Terry Seah Cheong Lock led the band for 13 years, up to 1994.
As the 1980s progressed the public image of the bands was positive indeed, reinforced with increased participation of the service bands in the NDP and major military events such as the Open Houses as well as their concerts. By 1982, the SAR Band (4SIB Band) was soon relaunched as the Republic of Singapore Air Force Band, and would later move to Tengah Air Base. The SIR Band was also relaunched as the Singapore Army Band, but the band's new name and image never caught on. In 1986 the RSN Band welcomed its first lady musician. Their first appearance together in the NDP was in 1987's edition in the Padang conducted by the SAF's first Senior Director of Music MAJ Erwin Dragon, with another joint performance in 1990. 1988 saw the rebirth of the SAF Music Board and the formation of the SAF Symphonic Wind Band.
The SAF Band was formed in 1994 from men and women of the Singapore Infantry Regiment Band, Republic of Singapore Air Force Band and Republic of Singapore Navy Band. The formation of SAF Band come in a restructuring of the bands within the Ministry of Defence for more effective distribution of manpower. From 1994, the different bands within the SAF Band operated at different camps and locations. The SAF Central Band and SAF Band HQ(RSNB) were by the time of the merger in Tanglin Camp, Parade Band B (RSAFB) in Tengah Airbase and Parade Band A (SIRB) in Pasir Laba Camp, as they formerly represented the three branches of the SAF before their 1994 merger which resulted to these bands playing for the SAF at various events, including their participation in the National Day Parade as regular participants and arrival honours ceremonies at the Istana. These sections combined in November 2003 after the completion of renovations work to the 'White House', the former British Officers’ Mess in Nee Soon Camp.
In 2009, the Parade Bands were renamed as the SAF Ceremonial Band to reflect their duties more accurately.
Logo.
The logo of SAF Band is a combination of the three services within the armed forces. Light blue signifies the air division, red signifies the land division and deep blue signifies the sea division. They are all united within the lyre, which is a universal symbol of military musicians. The logo is topped with the National Coat of Arms which was launched on 3 December 1959 together with the National Flag and National Anthem at the installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara at the City Hall steps and adopted by government agencies nationwide. Below the logo is a banner inscribed with the Band's motto, "In Harmony". The logo was designed by MAJ Tonni Wei and SSG Goh Poh Wah.
Structure of SAF Band.
The unit is made up the SAF Band HQ, SAF Band Training Wing and three operational bands: SAF Central Band, SAF Ceremonial Band A, and SAF Ceremonial Band B.
SAF Band HQ.
The HQ is the main support wing of the SAF Band. It provides logistical and administrative assistance to the operations and training of the SAF Band.
The SAF Band HQ is led by the Band's Commanding Officer – Senior Director of Music, ME6 Philip Tng and Senior Band Major (SBM), ME3 Abdul Razak.
SAF Band Training Wing.
The SAF Band Training Wing is responsible for the training and development of all military musicians in the SAF, including Regulars (professionals), NSFs and NSmen.
SAF Central Band.
The Singapore Armed Forces Central Band is the premier band of the Singapore Armed Forces, and consists of professional military musicians. Formerly known as 2 SIB Band and later the Republic of Singapore Navy Band before the 1994 merger, the SAF Central Band performs as a concert band, a marching band as well as a ceremonial band. It is further able to perform in a variety of smaller configurations, of which include a brass quintet, a combo & stage band, ceremonial fanfare trumpeters and a wind quintet. The SAF Central Band is most often seen in the public at major parades such as the National Day Parade. On a regular basis, the Central Band stages at least four public concerts a year, as part of its “In Harmony” and “Chamber Repertory” series.
SAF Ceremonial Band.
Made up of Full-time National Servicemen (NSF) and Operationally-Ready National Servicemen (NSmen), the SAF Ceremonial Band supports the monthly Istana Changing of the Guards Ceremony, Specialist Cadet School (SCS) Graduation Parade, Officer Cadet School (OCS) Commissioning Parades, Guard of Honour (GOH) Parades for visiting dignitaries and other internal SAF ceremonies. The Ceremonial Band is mainly the successor to the Band of the Singapore Infantry Regiment.
Performances.
The SAF Band had also represented Singapore at international music festivals. These include: