Standing Orders - Chapter 6
Music

601. General

1. The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery has adopted the marches and much of the traditional music of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

2. Regimental marches were not officially adopted in the British Army until 1882-83; however, the marches and music now associated with gunners have been in use since a much earlier period. It is known that the four regimental marches currently in use by the artillery - The Royal Artillery Slow March (The Duchess of Kent), British Grenadiers, Keel Row and Bonnie Dundee - constituted the parade music at Queen Victoria’ s review of the Royal Regiment of Artillery at Woolwich in July 1856 on its return from the Crimea. The Royal Artillery in 1995 adopted a medley of British Grenadiers and Voice of the Guns as the Royal Artillery Quick March.

602. Regimental Marches

1. The Royal Artillery Slow March, British Grenadiers and the Trot Past Keel Row are authorized marches for The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. In addition, the Gallop Past Bonnie Dundee is authorized for units of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. For further detail, see CFA0 32-3.

2. The marches are used as follows:

a. Royal Artillery Slow March - for dismounted parades, concerts, and dinners by all artillery units. This is the principal artillery march;

b. British Grenadiers - for dismounted parades;

c. Keel Row - for mounted parades; and

d. Bonnie Dundee - RCHA - for mounted parades.

3. The following are the metronome marks at which the Regimental airs should be played:

a. Royal Artillery Slow March - MM half note (65);

b. British Grenadiers - MM quarter note (120);

c. Keel Row - MM half note (86); and

d. Bonnie Dundee - MM dotted quarter note (120).

4. Artillery units which have been converted from cavalry, armour or infantry will adopt The Royal Artillery Slow March, British Grenadiers and Keel Row. Such units may be authorized to retain the traditional marches which they used prior to conversion. In addition to artillery marches, 49th Field Artillery Regiment RCA is authorized to use the march A Hundred Pipers with a pipe band.

5. At guest nights and concerts all of the above marches may be played. If marches are played, The Royal Artillery Slow March will normally be played first. Other music closely associated with The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery includes The Screw Guns, St. Barbara’s Day and The Post Horn Gallop, which are normally played on such occasions (see Chapter 9, Article 905).

603. The Royal Artillery Slow March

The Royal Artillery Slow March was either composed or arranged for the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1836 by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria’s Mother. This tune with its royal connection has always been regarded with special favour by gunners. Nevertheless, its use as the artillery signature tune dates only to 1909 and its general use as the primary gunner tune at Guest Nights was not established until 1921. Today, it remains the primary gunner music on Guest Nights - its stirring chords evocative of the soul of the regiment.

604. British Grenadiers

British Grenadiers, as a song dates to 1779 but the tune is older still. It was one of several marches used by the Royal Artillery in the first half of the l9th century along with The Artillery Grenadiers, Geary Owen, I’m Ninety Five and Highland Laddie. By 1855, however, custom had determined British Grenadiers to be the regimental quick march.

605. The Screw Guns

The Screw Guns is a very popular gunner tune, albeit with no official status. Wherever gunners gather, they sing The Screw Guns by Rudyard Kipling. It is a description of an elite force, the Mountain Artillery, whose feats were legendary. First published in The Scots Observer on 12 July 1890, the ballad has come to symbolize the elan and spirit of all gunners. It is sung to the melody of The Eton Boating Song. The words and music are found at Annex A.

606. Commanding Officer’s Trumpeter

1. A commanding officer of a regiment or independent battery may employ a trumpeter. The trumpeter will parade four paces behind the commanding officer and will conform to his movements.

2. Both trumpet and bugle are carried. The trumpet is normally carried in the hand. The bugle cord is slung over the left shoulder; the bugle hanging on the right side (Figure 10).

607. Regimental Calls

Regimental calls are authorized for units of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in the publication Regimental Trumpet and Bugle Calls for the Canadian Army - 1961. These are reproduced at Annex B to this chapter. Trumpet and bugle calls for both routine and field calls in the artillery are authorized in the publication Trumpet and Bugle Sounds for the Army - 1927. Bugles are used to sound field calls and trumpets for routine calls. The music for these calls may be obtained from the office of the Commanding Officer, RCA Band.

608. Bands

1. The Royal Canadian Artillery Band (RCA Band), is the oldest Regular Force band in the Canadian Forces. The RCA Band traces its roots to Quebec City. In 1879, the “B” battery Band of the Royal Canadian Artillery became the first permanent military band in Canada. This band, composed of many professionally trained musicians from France and England was a concert favourite in Quebec. In 1899 this band became The Royal Canadian Artillery Band of Canada. The RCA Band is one of six military bands in the Regular Force. It operates under the aegis of Land Force Western Area. The RCA Band is a brass and reed band and has a complement of thirty-five professional musicians. On 4 December 1997 (St. Barbara’s Day), the RCA Band marked its move to its present location at Edmonton Garrison.

2. Artillery units may organize voluntary bands in accordance with procedures detailed in CFAO 32-7.

(609 to 699 inclusive allocated)

• Annex A to Chapter 6 Screw Guns
• Annex B to Chapter 6 Regimental Calls
• Annex C to Chapter 6 Saint Barbara's Day
• Standing Orders Chapter 7 Artillery Customs