An Cosantóir

| 11 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE Army succeeded in securing the services of Herr Fritz Brase, one of the outstanding figures in German music, and possibly one of their greatest military bandmasters.……... He occupied the very first place amongst the 500 Army musical directors, and as a conductor and a composer he stands on the highest pinnacle, even in the most musical nation of the world.' Brasé accepted the offer of a Colonel's appointment in the Irish Army and brought with him a talented musician by the name of Friedrich Christian Sauerzweig to establish the new school in March 1923. Sauerzweig was an exceptionally talented musician and multi-instrumentalist and succeeded Brasé as Director in 1941. Prior to the appointment of Brasé and the official establishment of an Army School of Music such musical activity as there was in the new Irish Army took place under the direction of Captain Thomas O'Doherty who formed the Dublin Guards Pipe band and a Fife and Drum band. A Brass and Reed band was also formed in February 1923. These bands were subsequently disestablished in November 1923 with only a small number of these players transferring to the bands in Brasé's new school of Music. In February 1924 Col Brasé was appointed as Commanding Officer, Army School of Music. As the Army School of Music developed, three further bands were formed and placed strategically in Cork (No. 2 Band), the Curragh (No.3 Band) and Athlone (No.4 Band). The No. 2 Band was created in January 1924 from an amalgamation of selected members from O'Doherty's Special Infantry Corps Band and the Brass and Reed band already serving within the Cork Command. The No. 3 Band soon followed and all three bands remained in the School of Music until 1926 when they were transferred to Cork and The Curragh Camp respectively. It was not until 1936 that the fourth band was considered of sufficient strength to transfer to its permanent home in Athlone. In time Boys Company, as it became known, was established to educate and train boys enlisting from the age of fourteen for service in the four bands. A number of changes have naturally occurred as the Defence Forces reshaped itself over recent decades. Three of the four army bands were renamed to reflect their territorial area of operations becoming the Band of the Southern Command, the Band of the Curragh Command and the Band of the Western Command with the Army No. 1 Band to this day retaining its original title. These new titles in turn changed to reflect new Brigade structures becoming Bands 1 and 2 Brigade and Band of the Defence Forces Training Centre. This last named band, based in the Curragh, was formally disestablished in 1998 leaving the three remaining bands today serving in Dublin, Cork and Athlone. The bands' uniform has also undergone a number of changes with a reversion in 2011 to the parade dress of the 1920's. Boys Company also disappeared over time with new entrants between the ages of 18 and 29 now entering the school as fully qualified musicians. The Defence Forces School of Music is now the largest employer of professional musicians in the state. We have travelled a long distance from the early days and now attract the most talented of Irish and international musicians many of whom are third-level graduates. Nowadays many of the engagements undertaken by our three military bands will be familiar such as the annual appearance at the Dublin Horse Show. Bands will also be seen out and about in towns all around the country participating in St. Patrick's Day parades, marching in military reviews of units prior to overseas service, visiting primary and secondary schools as part of a thriving educational scheme or simply entertaining at local parish and community events and festivals. However this is barely half of the story. The general public will be less likely to observe the myriad of military and state engagements which are the staple of the bands' daily routine. Internal military ceremonial - military funerals, passing out parades, guards of honour for visiting dignitaries, state ceremonial such as the National Day of Commemoration, Presidential inaugurations, presentation of Credentials by ambassadors to Ireland in Áras an Uachtaráin, and formal visits by international heads of state all form part of this busy and varied schedule. As we move on from our year of centenary celebrations we look forward to the challenges and opportunities that the next decade will bring. In 2026 we travel to the International Military Music Festival in Hamina, in Finland, where we hope to forge new relationships with military musicians from all corners of the globe. I think we can proudly say that the vision of our early founders has been achieved and that the Defence Forces School of Music has become an integral part of Irish musical life and that Defence Forces' Bands have succeeded in dispensing 'music and musical understanding in the highest sense of these terms to the people'. Defence Forces pipers and band playing at the National Concert Hall in 2011 Defence Forces band at the Easter Sunday 2016 Commemorative Parade DFSM at Ireland rugby match DFSM before kickoff in the AVIVA Stadium

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