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THE RENAISSANCE. |
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Although only a semi-official institution, the Military School of Music came under the War Office control (apparently) in 1867, and the material assistance which this institution was giving to the whole movement of military band reform soon became apparent to the authorities, for in 1872, the government gave its first grant toward its support, followed three years later by complete control being assumed. It then became imperative that all bandmasters should pass through Kneller Hall, though existing arrangements were not to be interfered with.
Among the leading staff bandmasters of the day were: James Smyth, of the Royal Artillery; Boose, of the Royal Horse Guards; Waddell and Waterson, of the First, and Froenherdt, of the Second Life Guards; Dan Godfrey, of the Grenadiers; Fred Godfrey, of the Coldstreams; Charles Godfrey (Jun.), of the Scots Guards; Kappey, of the Chatham Marines; and William Winterbottom, of the Woolwich and Plymouth Marines. These are the men to whom all credit must be given for the part they played in the English musical renaissance of the mid-nineteenth century.
There were some good men in the " line " bands who also deserve mention: W. Miller, of the First Rifle |
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of military music. Balfe's first teacher (like Beethoven's) was an army bandmaster (of the Kerry Militia), whilst his first lessons in instrumentation came from another bandmaster, named Meadows. The father of W. V. Wallace was bandmaster of the Twenty-ninth Regiment, whilst Sullivan's father was bandmaster of the Royal Military College band. |
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