Band Corps wraps up specialized training with excellent concert

THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Band Corps marked the conclusion of a six-month period of specialised training under the tutelage of Chinese military musicians by delivering a series of excellent performances at a special concert at Base Camp Ayanganna on Thursday. As many as 250 officers, other ranks and civilian employees of the GDF were thrilled by the Corps’ performance of a repertoire of musical renditions, which included the National Anthems of China and Guyana; national songs of Guyana; compositions by Chinese, Belgian and Austrian composers; and Danny Flores’s Tequila, which was well received as it involved the audience.
But it was Lance Corporal Deon Fraser’s spirited and well executed tuba solo of the Old Bear Polka in G-Major which received a standing ovation from the audience. It was the first time in the history of the GDF Band Corps that anyone had played the tuba on that scale, a release from the GDF noted.

The band was under the batons of Guyana Defence Force Director of Music, Major Robert Burns, and Instructor from the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA), Colonel Luo Feng Dong; who, together with four other musical instructors from the PLA, were engaged in an extensive training programme for members of the Band Corps, which began since July 2011. The training is the direct result of a bilateral agreement between the governments of China and Guyana, the release added.
According to the leader of the delegation of Chinese music specialists, Senior Colonel Zhou Shi Bin, the past six months have been a very productive period, during which he and his team witnessed the capabilities of members of the GDF Band Corps being strengthened.
“The GDF soldiers and musicians have worked very hard; and despite interruptions for national elections and Christmas, were able to significantly enhance their ability to play music,” he said.
“In addition, the bond between the militaries of our countries has been strengthened through this bilateral arrangement. The GDF has cooperated with, and supported, us in every way, enabling us to achieve our objectives. We would like to suggest that the number of personnel in the Band Corps be increased. With greater numbers, there will be a greater range of musicality, and ultimately better performances. All members of the GDF must support the Band Corps,” he added.
The Colonel expressed the hope that cooperation between the PLA and the GDF in the area of musical development will continue, but he said that this would hinge on what the bilateral agreement between the two militaries specifies.
Guyana Defence Force Director of Music, Major Robert Burns, described the six-month training as definitely beneficial to the Band Corps. “The general sound of the military has improved, and is now being tuned to the international pitch level.” He added that two ranks gained valuable training on the flute and the tuba, resulting in two vacancies in key areas of the band being filled.
Major Burns is confident that, with more resources and continued professional training, the GDF Band Corps will soon be a force to reckon with regionally.

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