A MUSICAL VOYAGE - Royal Australian Navy
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