- Marechaussee
- Culture
Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee
The Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is one of six military bands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Band is stationed at the ‘Koning Willem III’ Barracks in Apeldoorn, where the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee National Centre for Training and Expertise is situated.
The band is able to provide a full strength concert and marching band of 56 musicians. Furthermore, a number of smaller ensembles, such as a big band, brass quintets and quartets and a saxophone quartet, can be formed from the main band.
Owing to the band’s unique line-up of brass instruments, saxophones and extended percussion instruments and the fact that fifteen flugelhorns are responsible for the band’s “soft” brass timbre, the Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee has a unique and solid overall sound.
The Band members are all professional or semi-professional musicians. Most of them have a degree in music. Regular Royal Netherlands Marechaussee officers can, and do, join the band, as long as their regular police duties do not interfere with the band’s schedule. The band members are all military personnel; the musicians are all sergeants or sergeants first class, while the senior members of the band, such as the conductor, drum major and band leader, hold higher ranks
As with all military bands, the Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee represents the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee during State occasions and carries out ceremonial duties, such as medal and graduation parades, for the Netherlands armed forces. During the past ten years, the band has performed in Sweden, the UK, France, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Russia, Spain, Israel, Italy, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Finland.
The band’s general director is Captain Anne Roel de Boer, its chief conductor is Captain Erik Janssen and its drum major is Warrant Officer Marc Gouswaart.
Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee
Koning Willem III Barracks
P.O. Box 9019
MPC 39A
7300 EA Apeldoorn
Netherlands
Telephone: +31 6 53 434369
E-mail: TKKMAR@mindef.nl
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