Duchess of Edinburgh opens Sandhurst facility for army musicians

Above: HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh talks to some of the musicians during her visit.
Courtesy MoD / Crown Copyright

Her Royal Highness opened the facility in her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Army Music (RCAM).

The new purpose-built band facility – named The Duchess of Edinburgh Hall – houses two distinguished bands from RCAM: the Band of the Coldstream Guards and the Army Engagement Ensemble. The building provides a modern, sustainable acoustic space for rehearsals and performances.

The RCAM, which performs at State Ceremonial events, has received significant MoD investment under the £5.1 billion Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio.

The facility was delivered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) contracting to Willmott Dixon, Pick Everard and HLM Architects. It was funded under the DEO Army Programme, which makes up the largest share of the DEO Portfolio and is delivering a better structured and more sustainable defence estate. This supports military capability and enhances the lived experience of service personnel.

Major General Richard Clements CBE, Director of Basing and Infrastructure, said: "The new band facility at Sandhurst will enable army musicians to carry out their supporting state and ceremonial duties and national and international engagement for defence, both today and into the future. It is a fantastic example of the significant investment we are making to deliver benefits for our people, support military training and capability and build a more sustainable estate."

Combining modern buildings with the refurbishment of existing infrastructure, the Duchess of Edinburgh Hall comprises a glass-roofed atrium for ensemble performance practice, rehearsal rooms, an instrument store, music library, offices, storage space and a crew room. The design also includes solar panels and air source heat pumps.

Sherin Aminossehe, MoD Director of Infrastructure and the Senior Responsible Owner for the DEO Portfolio, said: "DEO is committed to delivering the highest quality buildings that improve the lived experience of our military personnel. This is evidenced in these impressive new facilities being opened today, which not only provide bespoke and very modern spaces for these prestigious bands to train in but do so in a way that carefully integrates itself within the existing infrastructure to preserve the important history of the site."

Historic stables dating back to the 1800s have been transformed into modern changing facilities, including the refurbished ‘Sullivan Block’, which is named after Thomas Sullivan who served as Bandmaster at The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1845 to 1857. He was the father of Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan of ‘Gilbert and Sullivan’ fame.

Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said: "It’s fantastic to see this excellent new facility being opened by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. The different elements of the facility were carefully designed to meet the needs of army musicians and it was a pleasure to see Her Royal Highness’s reaction to them. The musicians have been making great use of the Duchess of Edinburgh Hall since its completion and we look forward to hearing their music fill these spaces for decades to come."

The Band of the Coldstream Guards is a 54-piece symphonic wind band that supports a variety of high-profile events, including state ceremonies, public duties, commemorative and celebratory events, and repatriations. Additionally, it contributes to the UK’s defence efforts both domestically and internationally through community engagement and events. The Army Engagement Ensemble focuses on recruitment, supporting Recruiting Group and the army’s main effort to attract future soldiers.

Major Justin Teggarty, Director of Music and Officer Commanding, Band of the Coldstream Guards said: "This new facility is perfect for the Band’s needs. The quality of the design and finish is highly impressive and we now have a comfortable, purpose-built, modern building in which to rehearse, collaborate and function to the highest standard. I am particularly impressed with the acoustics in the atrium: it is fantastic to be able to play together in a space that does justice to the talent and professionalism of army musicians."