Central Band of the Royal Air Force
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Central Band of the Royal Air Force
| image = Central Band of the RAF crest.jpg
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| years_active = 1920-present
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| website = {{URL|https://www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/raf-music-services/}}
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The Central Band of the Royal Air Force is an RAF regular band and is part of Royal Air Force Music Services. The motto of the band is Aere Invicti (Latin for "Invincible with the Brass").{{cite book |last1=Pine |first1=L G |title=A Dictionary of mottoes |date=1983 |publisher=Routledge & K. Paul |location=London |isbn=0-7100-9339-X |page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/7 7] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/7 }}
File:Saxophones Images MOD 45160324.jpg) in December 2015]]
History
The Central Band of the RAF was formed in 1920, shortly after the RAF had been formed in 1918. Their version of the theme from the Dam Busters reached No. 18 in October 1955, spending one week in the UK Top 20.{{cite book |last1=Rice |first1=Jo |title=The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 5th edition |date=1985 |publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd |isbn=0-85112-429-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessbritishh0000unse/page/186 186] |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessbritishh0000unse/page/186 }}
The band has given performances on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night in October 2010{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tw63t|title=Friday Night is Music Night|publisher=BBC|date=1 October 2010|accessdate=28 April 2020}} and, to mark the 100th anniversary of the formation of the RAF, in April 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09x8jhq|title=Friday Night is Music Night|publisher=BBC|date=6 April 2018|accessdate=28 April 2020}}
Personnel
=Notable personnel=
- Henry Walford Davies, founder of the RAF Central Band
- Ronnie Aldrich, British easy listening and jazz pianist
- Malcolm Corden, father of comedian James Corden
- Sid Colin, television and film screenwriter
- Duncan Stubbs, RAF Music Services principal director of music
See also
- Langenbruck bus crash
- The Squadronaires – The RAF's 'Big Band' style group.
References
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmusic/aboutus/centralband.cfm}}
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