The Band of the South Australia Police

The Band of the South Australia Police is the oldest Police Band in Australia, having been formed from volunteer officers in 1884 as a Brass Band. In 1974 it changed its configuration to that of a Military Band with the addition of Woodwind Instruments.

Internationally, the Band won critical acclaim at the 1990 Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is considered to be the best and most famous of the World's Military Tattoos. Still to this day, this performance is used by the Tattoo organisers as a demonstration of the standard required to perform at the festival.

Eight years later, the Band was invited, and returned to the United Kingdom to perform 27 performances at the 1998 Royal Tournament at Earls Court, London. Each performance was to a capacity audience of 9000 people, and was later broadcast through the United Kingdom on the BBC and also through Cable TV to the rest of Europe. That tour also saw a traffic-stopping, solo march along 'The Strand' in the heart of London, culminating with a performance and official reception held at Australia House. Upon their return to Adelaide, the Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide presented the members of the Band with the 'Keys to the City'. This is the first time that police officers in South Australia have ever received such an honour.

The Band was once again invited as Australia's representative to the 50th Anniversary Edinburgh Military Tattoo 'A Salute to the Commonwealth' in 2000. Its performance was once again universally acclaimed as the hit of the program by the United Kingdom media and audiences.

The Band has also been in high demand to perform in other Australian Capital Cities, and has appeared at the Brisbane Festival of Arts, Perth Royal Show, and The Tasmania Police Tattoo to name only a few.
The main role of the Band is that of supporting SAPOL's Community Programs and Crime Prevention Initiatives, and their performances appeal to a wide range of audiences from Pre-Schoolers through to Senior Citizens. In any given year, the Band performs from border to border in a variety of formats, utilizing the many talents of its full time musicians forming over 17 different musical ensembles. In each calendar year, the Band regularly exceeds 300 engagements.

The Band of the South Australia Police is very versatile and can be devolved into smaller musical groups to cater for a wide range of events and musical tastes. The different musical ensembles include the:

• Full Military Concert Band
• Parade Band
• School Beat Band and Rock Patrol Band
• Big Band
• Dixieland Jazz Band
• Sons of Zorro
• Brass Quintet
• Brass Ensemble
• Woodwind Quintet
• Saxophone Quartet
• Fanfare Team
• Percussion Ensemble and Drums Corps

BOOKINGS

The Band of the South Australia Police only performs for official Police and State Government occasions and for recognised charities and community groups.

Requests to book the band must be submitted in writing and include as much detail as possible such as:

• Organisation name
• Organiser name and contact details
• Event name and description
• Event date and time (provide alternative dates/times, as the Band may have conflicting engagements)
• Event location
  

Send the request to:

Band Operations Manager
South Australia Police
GPO Box 1539
ADELAIDE SA 5001