Life Guards' Dragoon Music Corps
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The Royal Swedish Cavalry Band (
Establishment
The Royal Swedish Cavalry Band is stationed in the Cavalry Barracks in Stockholm, where the Life Guards' 80 horses are stabled. The band consists of 27 brass instrumentalists and three percussionists. The mounted musicians play either mounted or on foot and conduct public concerts. Each year the band gives around 140 performances, 45 of which are mounted King's guard parades.
Mounts
LDK uses three horse breeds. The black Shires carry the kettle drums and are from the world's tallest horse breed. The Greys are of Altkladruber breed of the Imperial and Royal stud Kladruben -Kladruby-nad-Ladem in today's Czech Republic. The Greys carry the fanfare trumpeters. The Chestnuts of Swedish Warm blood carry the cornets, horns, bass trumpets, euphoniums and tubas.
Uniforms and accoutrements
LDK's full dress is Pattern 1895. Originally a battle dress, it is now worn in three different versions: Full Dress Ceremonials, No1 Dress and No2 Dress.
Repertoire and performances
The band's repertoire spans many fields of music - the exceptional is normal for the mounted band; every day, all year round. During the summer you can watch the LDK on their way to the Stockholm Palace. At other times the band may spend a week in Afghanistan playing for the Swedish forces. LDK's many ensembles form the basis for the varied occasions required in the professional armed forces of today. The Royal Swedish Cavalry Band presents everything from single fanfare trumpet calls, through brass quintets and sextets up to accompanying music and all 30 musicians performing simultaneously in concert.
History
When
In 1949 the Royal Horse Guards were disbanded. 1 squadron and the mounted band of 14 musicians formed the Life Guards. In 1971 all professional military bands were outsourced from the Armed Forces in a slightly changed establishment, the mounted band gradually expanded to Director of Music, kettle drummer and 16 musicians. 1990 conscripted musicians were allowed into the band and which in 1992 was transformed into a complete conscript establishment. As fewer and fewer conscripted musicians were available professional musicians were once again enrolled and in 2011-12 the band was once again a full-time professional military band.