An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir January / February 2024 www.military.ie/magazine 10 | 2023 marked 100 years since the official founding of the Defence Forces School of Music in 1923. The celebration of a Centenary affords us the opportunity to look back over our history, to consider our beginnings and the way in which both the Defence Forces School of Music and its service to Irish State and society has changed and developed. Perusing band diaries of those early days is fascinating and highlights just how similar the work performed by today's bands is to those of previous decades. The mix of state, military, community, school and sporting events has remained constant, the principal change being the much larger volume of engagements now performed by our three bands each year – now some 400 annually. On the death of General Michael Collins in August 1922, his successor as head of the army, General Risteard Mulcahy soon became the driving force behind the institution of a new Army School of Music possessing a clear vision of the importance of music within a military context. Mulcahy appointed Dr. John F. Larchet, then professor of music at University College Dublin, to advise on the foundation of an Irish military music school. "An army without a band is in the same position as a performance of 'Hamlet' without the Prince of Denmark; the central inspiration is lacking'. This bold statement was made by Larchet in the opening sentence of his 1923 pamphlet entitled 'The Army School of Music'. As a musician, Larchet's perspective was naturally firmly rooted in all things musical, however his words here are not simply rhetoric, but demonstrate with real conviction a profound understanding of the potency and vitality of military music. General Mulcahy's own vision encompassed a very wide view of the function of a national army in the new Ireland with the foundation of a military music school intended not only to serve the army but also to assist in a national musical revival.' I want in the first place, bands for the Army. I want to have bands that will dispense music and musical understanding in the highest sense of these terms to the people'. In this same pamphlet, Larchet described how the first Director of the Army School of Music was appointed. 'In seeking the best possible assistance, the DEFENCE FORCES SCHOOL OF MUSIC ADAPTED BY LT COL MARGARET BANNISTER FROM AN ARTICLE BY LT COL (RET'D) MARK ARMSTRONG, FORMER DIRECTOR, DFSM. A CENTURY OF PROGRESS First Army School of Music band pictured in 1923 Brase and Sauerzweig reading music in the 1930's Band playing for visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 Defence Forces bands pictured at Collins Barracks, Dublin, June 2023

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