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               Major (Rtd) Andrew R Chatburn BA ARCM psm

           Former Senior Director of Music Guards Division

                               Very Experienced Presenter 

 

 

 

 

TOPICS:

 

  • State Ceremonial and Public Duties in the United Kingdom - What and Why?

  • The Jubilees of our longest reigning monarchs; Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.

  • Royal and State Funerals

  • Royal Weddings

  • Life and Times of musician in public service.

 

Bio:

In  2005 Andrew was invited to become the Ceremonial Officer at Headquarters Household Division working at Horse Guards in central London where to this day he remains the subject matter expert and principle planner responsible State Ceremonial. In addition to recurring events such as The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), his recent responsibilities have included the military ceremonial surrounding the wedding of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the funeral procession of the late Baroness Thatcher and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen. This uniquely marks him out as one of a very few to have had the privilege of being intimately involved in all 3 Jubilee celebrations of The Sovereign!

 

Previously, Andrew became Director of Music Irish Guards in July 1998 and was subsequently appointed Senior Director of Music Guards Division in January 2002 with responsibility for co-coordinating and directing musical support for State Ceremonial in London. Amongst many high-profile events, these included: Mounting The Queen’s Guard; Inward State Visits; The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour); The funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; HM The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations; the National Act of Remembrance at the Cenotaph; the Edinburgh Military Tattoo including the first production of that world-famous spectacle in Sydney, Australia.

 

In the early part of his career he was the principal trumpet with the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) during which time he toured extensively throughout Europe. In 1976, he was privileged to be involved in the American Bi-Centennial celebrations in a British tattoo presented at the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Virginia and he was on parade to in 1977 in Edinburgh to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Silver Jubilee. His last two years with the Queen’s Own Highlanders were spent in the Far East where, in addition to his military duties, he fostered a love of ‘swing’ performing in ‘big-bands’, mainly in the fine hotels of the region.

 

A further 3 years study in the early 1980’s at the Royal Military School of Music as a Student Bandmaster culminated in his being awarded no fewer than five top prizes including the Worshipful Company of Musician’s medal as best student of his year. This led to his appointment as Bandmaster of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (QMO) - a cavalry regiment - in January 1985. During his five and a half years with this band he served in Europe and the UK, with an additional tour again to the USA and in 1987 had the privilege to meet the late Diana Princess of Wales when she presented new Colours (Guidon) to the Regiment.

 

 Director of Music to the Royal Armoured Corps in 1990, he had responsibility for professional standards across a range of bands before returning in 1993 to Hong Kong to take up the appointment of Director of Music with the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas (also spelled Gorkhas); soldiers from Nepal serving with the British Army. The handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule saw Andrew return to the UK early where in January 1995 he moved again to become Director of Music to the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Amongst many places, he took this band to Uzbekistan to become the first western military unit to visit the country since the Second World War. 

 

 

                                        Music: Hands Across the Sea 

Played by The Band of the  Irish Guards, Directed By Andrew Chatburn

                                     Recorded to Commemorate The 60th Anniversary of D day,  2004

Click Image to view newspaper article

highlighting Major Chatburn's role organising the funeral of Margaret Thatcher.

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