A new band facility on the Sandhurst Estate, Surrey has been
formally opened by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh.
Her Royal Highness opened the facility in her role as
Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Army Music (RCAM).
The new purpose-built band facility – named The Duchess of
Edinburgh Hall – houses two distinguished bands from RCAM: the
Band of the Coldstream Guards and the Army Engagement Ensemble.
The building provides a modern, sustainable acoustic space for
rehearsals and performances.
The RCAM, which performs at State Ceremonial events, has received
significant MOD investment under the £5.1 billion Defence Estate
Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio.
The facility was delivered by the Defence Infrastructure
Organisation (DIO) contracting to Willmott Dixon, Pick Everard
and HLM Architects. It was funded under the DEO Army Programme,
which makes up the largest share of the DEO Portfolio, and is
delivering a better structured and more sustainable defence
estate. This supports military capability and enhances the lived
experience of service personnel.
Major General Richard Clements CBE, Director of Basing and
Infrastructure, said:
The new band facility at Sandhurst will enable army musicians to
carry out their supporting state and ceremonial duties and
national and international engagement for defence, both today and
into the future. It is a fantastic example of the significant
investment we are making to deliver benefits for our people,
support military training and capability, and build a more
sustainable estate.
Combining modern buildings with the refurbishment of existing
infrastructure, the Duchess of Edinburgh Hall comprises a
glass-roofed atrium for ensemble performance practice, rehearsal
rooms, an instrument store, music library, offices, storage space
and a crew room. The design also includes solar panels and air
source heat pumps.
Sherin Aminossehe, MOD Director of Infrastructure and the Senior
Responsible Owner for the DEO Portfolio, said:
DEO is committed to delivering the highest quality buildings that
improve the lived experience of our military personnel. This is
evidenced in these impressive new facilities being opened today,
which not only provide bespoke and very modern spaces for these
prestigious bands to train in, but do so in a way that carefully
integrates itself within the existing infrastructure to preserve
the important history of the site.
Historic stables dating back to the 1800s have been transformed
into modern changing facilities, including the refurbished
‘Sullivan Block', which is named after Thomas
Sullivan who served as Bandmaster at The Royal Military
Academy, Sandhurst from 1845 to 1857. He was the father
of Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan of ‘Gilbert and
Sullivan' fame.
Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said:
It's fantastic to see this excellent new facility being opened by
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. The different elements of the
facility were carefully designed to meet the needs of army
musicians and it was a pleasure to see Her Royal Highness's
reaction to them. The musicians have been making great use of the
Duchess of Edinburgh Hall since its completion and we look
forward to hearing their music fill these spaces for decades to
come.
The Band of the Coldstream Guards is a 54-piece symphonic wind
band that supports a variety of high-profile events, including
state ceremonies, public duties, commemorative and celebratory
events, and repatriations. Additionally, it contributes to the
UK's defence efforts both domestically and internationally
through community engagement and events. The Army Engagement
Ensemble focuses on recruitment, supporting Recruiting Group and
the army's main effort to attract future soldiers.
Major Justin Teggarty, Director of Music and Officer Commanding,
Band of the Coldstream Guards said:
This new facility is perfect for the Band's needs. The quality of
the design and finish is highly impressive, and we now have a
comfortable, purpose-built, modern building in which to rehearse,
collaborate and function to the highest standard. I am
particularly impressed with the acoustics in the atrium: it is
fantastic to be able to play together in a space that does
justice to the talent and professionalism of army musicians.
