This week the Army Band revealed its new uniform, changing from bottle-green to navy. Its music director, Lieut Col Brendan Power, who designed it, explains why to Olivia Kelly
Bottle-green is not one of nature's most attractive colours. Actually that's probably unfair, because it isn't really a colour found in nature (leaves are leaf-green, for those with the urge to quibble). It's one of those too-intense, toxic-looking man-made colours that only ever make it on to the catwalk in an ironic sense.
Bottle-green is reserved for bottles, obviously - and uniforms. Bottle green school uniforms were designed by nuns in the 1920s. They're not stylish, they're not sexy, but then, given that they were intended for wear by teenage girls, that was probably for the best.
The rest of the nation were considered quite capable of protecting their own modesty without such strictures, except, it seems, the men and women of the Army Band. For 40 years these valiant musicians have struggled under the weight of the dreaded green garb and they always felt drab and dowdy when they strode forth to represent their country.
"It was worst when we'd travel abroad," Lieut Col Brendan Power, director of the Defence Forces School of Music, says. "We'd see other military bands and by comparison, they'd leave us in the ha'penny place. We just didn't look the business."
The band played on regardless, hiding their embarrassment behind their trumpets, until this week when, at a parade of Irish members of the UN-authorised Kosovo Force at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the No 1 Army Band revealed their sexy, stylish new navy uniforms.
This is the band's fourth change of dress since its foundation in 1923. The original uniform was a sort of sky blue, known as St Patrick's blue, says Power. Never hugely popular, it soon made way for a smart navy but, in the insanity of the early 1960s, someone decided that bottle green was quite the thing and, for half the life of the band so far, that decision went unchecked.
The new uniform is based on the old navy suit with a few new flourishes, music-director turned fashion-designer Power explains.
"There are elements of reversion to this uniform, it's totally different to the bottle green one and is quite classical in look. The officers have a black uniform with gold and red fittings, while the rest of the band members will wear the dark navy with red and silver fittings."
Both suits are set off by a red "shako", a type of cap which is taken from a previous dress uniform. The whole ensemble is finished off with a white music pouch, for carrying sheet music and a navy belt with red trim, for ordinary band members and a gold belt with red trim for the five officers.
All three Army bands will have the benefit of the new rig-out, including, the 45-piece No. 1 Army Band in Dublin, the band of the 1st Southern Brigade in Cork and the Band of the 4th Western Brigade in Athlone, with approximately 40 members each. Made in Antwerp, in Belgium, the total cost of the uniforms is €225,000.
Getting selected as a member of band is no mean feat. The army band is not open to soldiers who happen to have a triangle at the back of the press they've always wanted to try out; these are professional musicians recruited directly from schools of music.
"You wouldn't make the grade if it was just a hobby. The people in the band have joined the defence forces solely to play a musical role."
Power, himself a former UCC music student, celebrated 25 years in the Army, and the Army Band on Valentine's Day. This however is his first design role. "We thought about getting in a designer, but a civilian really wouldn't have a clue about what was needed from a military uniform. I've always had an interest in military uniforms, so I did it myself, with no outside help."
Unfortunately Power's undoubtedly snazzy navy uniform will be his last creation. "I'm not out to challenge John Rocha or Paul Costello, I think I'll stick to what I know best. But hopefully this uniform will last and won't be changed. It would be a big mistake, I think, to go back to bottle green."
• The three divisions of the Army Band are holding their 80th anniversary celebration concert in Cork City Hall on Friday, February 28th, with guest tenor, Emmanuel Lawler.