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Naval Bands at the beginning of the 20th Century
The Warrant Officers, Non Commissioned Officers and Musicians of the Royal Naval School of Music, Eastney, 20 May 1905. A C Green features in the front row fourth from the left hand side. (RMM)
The Royal Navy used bands on board ships to accompany general routine, to boost morale and also simply for entertainment. The bands formed orchestras, played military music or made up dance or swing groups for more informal entertainment. To carry out this role the bandsmen had to be 'double handed', meaning they had to be able play at least two instruments.
At the turn of the century the Navy provided its own music on a ship-by-ship basis. Senior Officers would usually have to fund the cost of instruments, sheet music and the upkeep of their ships' bands. This created problems; bands could be highly expensive and as bands grew so did the cost. The band members were also a source of difficulty. The players did not usually serve continuously in the Royal Navy and might be foreigners and so did not have the same understanding of naval routines and tradition as regular sailors.
The shore-based bands of the Royal Marines, however, were the envy of the Navy. By 1900 each Royal Marine Division had their own highly trained bands. The divisional bands were also double handed and provided entertainment and drill for their Division. They did not, however, serve at sea - a fact which later became a sore point following the loss of so many bandsmen during the First and Second World Wars.
In 1903 the Navy decided to hand over the responsibility of providing music for their ships to the Royal Marines. The Royal Naval School of Music (RNSM) opened in Eastney, Portsmouth, in 1903. The Navy hoped that the School would raise the standard of naval musicians and ran down the naval bands. The men had the choice of joining the Royal Marines or staying as Royal Navy until their contract ran out. No new Royal Naval musicians would be employed.
