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A MUSICAL VOYAGE - Royal Australian Navy

A MUSICAL VOYAGE - Royal Australian Navy

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- 109 –<br />

A large transit accommodation sleeping space that looks like a giant chest freezer was set<br />

up in the stb hanger for most of the band's Junior Sailors whilst the remaining moved into<br />

respective female and PO'S messes. The port hanger has been our nominated equipment<br />

storage and work place area and is our part of ship for daily routine rounds.<br />

Five days of calm sea's made it easy to productively rehearsed up the rock band and drum<br />

core for Beat to Quarters with the guard before the first port of Manilla.<br />

1000 Procedure Alpha for Manila worked well on the flight deck although we had to quickly<br />

get the equipment out of the way and help rig up the gangway, the awning, store the ship<br />

with fresh rations, eat lunch and rehearse the Beat to Quarters with the guard. On<br />

completion we set up for the cocktail function and had enough time to get three hours<br />

ashore to regain our land legs, and make calls home and be back in time to scran up, dobe<br />

up and commence playing smooth background cocktail function jazz by 1830 to 1945.<br />

The Beat to Quarters at 2000 was successful and very much applauded and appreciated. We<br />

then continued ashore around 2145 and in fine <strong>Navy</strong> band tradition on the first night in, had<br />

lots of fun.<br />

We are fitting in with the ship's company well and are now a part of night watch duties.<br />

These duties comprise of man overboard sentry, helm, lookouts and anything that is piped<br />

for spare hands like cheering ship when in light jackstays with Japanese ships. We are also<br />

keeping protection force duties and will be shore patrol guards in Guam. We have visited<br />

Qingdao in China and Japan's port of Nagasaki where we again performed to everyone's<br />

expectations and repeated all sailor traditions in the art of buying rabbits, having a look<br />

about and consuming a quiet ale here and there. We are presently in defence watches at<br />

sea on exercise with the Japanese Marine defence force in a small typhoon two days south<br />

of Tokyo and are looking forward to seeing the bands and ships of other <strong>Navy</strong>'s.<br />

To date we have performed with our many ensembles two flight deck concerts, three<br />

cocktail functions, three beat to quarters and sunset ceremonies, one touch football<br />

match, one basket ball match and six procedure Alpha's.<br />

Our performances have been very well received by all ranks.<br />

<strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Navy</strong> Band: A Musical Voyage

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