The Band of the 7th Toronto Regt, RCA
During the late 1800's, the Gunners' Band was a necessary part of any social or civic event. Concerts, garden parties, balls or opening ceremonies called for the inclusion of the Artillery Band. Newspaper accounts of the period tell us that an Artillery Band played on the roof of the first trip of the Toronto Street Railway from Yorkville to the Bay in 1861. The same band marched from Garrison Park to the Exhibition Grounds for the opening of the first Canadian National Exhibition.
February 1997 marked the 75th continuous year for the present band. In 1922, Lieutenant-Colonel Massey, of the 3rd Field Brigade C.A., invited John D. (Scotty) Wilson to reform the military band of the Artillery. Using a nucleus of members of the former Post Office Band, which had been led by Jack Fysh, Scotty Wilson was soon able to parade in first war khaki and puttees. A search of the old cellars of the armoury produced a set of nineteenth century uniforms that were once used by the 9th Toronto Battery and a local tailor refurbished these. Four gunners from the regiment carried Coleman Lanterns to enable the musicians to read their music on night parades through the city.
The high musical standards of the Artillery Band were soon apparent. At a competition held in 1924, the famous Captain Charles O'Neill awarded the Gold Medal to the band for its performance of the William Tell Overture.
Since its formation, the band has become widely known for its concert presentations and has been requested to play for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II on their visits to Toronto in 1939, 1973 and 1984. In addition to its regular appearances in Toronto and Southern Ontario, the band has also toured Northern Ontario and New York State.
Featured performers include a number of professional musicians who are well known for their work in the fields of orchestral, jazz and music education. Band members are a part of the Canadian Forces reserve contingent and as such have provided instructors to the Canadian Forces School of Music at its previous location in Victoria, BC, and currently at the Music Centre at Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario.
