The bandsmen practise ahead of their summer concert.
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Bandsmen tune up to stage historic concert
By Jack SommersApril 06, 2009
The Royal Corps of Transport band existed for 55 years before it was disbanded in 1991.
In that time, its 51 musicians recorded albums, toured the world with the corps and accompanied the Queen on royal visits abroad.
That all ended when the corps — the RCT — was merged into the new Royal Logistic Corps, which is based at Deepcut.
Now former members of the band are coming from as far away as New Zealand to play in a reunion concert.
And a re-formed RCT band has been in the recording studio to make a CD that will be available at the event.
The band’s chairman, Roger Sanders, said the road to the reunion started last year.
Mr Sanders is conductor of the Bagshot Concert Band and recruited ten former RCT musicians to fill out the numbers when the band went to play in a concert in Bavaria in May last year.
The local beer fuelled a lot of reminiscing about the RCT band and plans were made.
In July last year, former members met at the Red Lion pub in Ash Road, Aldershot, and decided to try to organise a reunion concert.
“It snowballed very gradually. It was a case of small tunes, great symphonies,” said Mr Sanders.
The re-formed RCT band’s concert is at Princes Hall, Aldershot, on the afternoon of Saturday July 18.
Tickets, at £10, will be available from Mr Sanders on 01252 692026 and the theatre box office on 01252 329155 from June 1.
For more on this story, see the Community News in The Mail, out on Tuesday April 7.
