Perfect Storm - British Military Music Academy to be Shut Down and Musicians' Pay Cut

British Army Musicians say they are facing the "perfect storm" of below-inflation pay rises, rising taxes and the prospect of increased rents, in both single and service families quarters, as well as a hit to their musical standards. The Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) are effectively recommending a pay cut to the Government because of the rising cost of living and inflation. The Musicians fear also for their 160-year-old school of music where they have been traditionally tutored by Royal College of Music professors and instrumentalists from the London Symphony Orchestra. Army Music is more than just about paying the piper whilst the Chain of Command call the tune, it is part of the moral component to fighting power, it has an ethos, why destroy that by ousting the musicians themselves but keeping a museum? “Through Music, Service Bands are to sustain and develop the moral component of fighting power, support State Ceremonial, and achieve influence to further Defence and National interests” (British Army Web-Site). There was a fund-raising concert, by the Army's Countess of Wessex Orchestra, on Monday 20 March 2017, in the Music Museum within the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, which has recently been refurbished by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) at a cost of significantly more than £495,000, during the fiscal year 2016/2017. (“Thank you for your email of 23 August 2016 requesting the following information: “Please confirm that the Refurbishment of the Museum of Army Music (Kneller Hall) in 2016/2017 will cost the MOD £495,000?” I am treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). A search for the information has now been completed within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and I can confirm that all the information in scope of your request is held. I can confirm that the refurbishment of the Museum of Army Music (Kneller Hall) will cost the MoD significantly more than £495,000. Yours sincerely, DIO Secretariat”). It seems strange that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would refurbish a set of three museum rooms in a building, for half a million plus, which is on its disposals list, unless this is part of the DIO’s/Capita’s contract with the property developers and the Museum is staying in situ? Once the plans for the Army to move out of Kneller Hall, drawn up in 2012, and for the land to be sold for development, were announced, the Friends of the Museum of Army Music (a private charity registered Number 273762) have worked tirelessly to secure the future of the Museum, by intensive fund-raising sponsored by the Three Museum Trustees, whose Chairman is ex officio the Commandant of The Royal Military School of Music. Progress has been slow but in the most recent accounts £30,704 was raised in 2015/2016. Income/Expenditure: 31 Mar 2016 £30,704/ £35,039 27 Feb 2017 (27 days late) * 31 Mar 2015 £2,214/ £2,913 31 Mar 2014 £906 /£1,398 31 Mar 2013 £1,715 /£1,542 31 May 2012 £2,131/ £2,129 The amount of money raised appears to be insufficient to move the heritage of the Royal Military School of Music to the new location, currently a choice between Worthy Down, Chatham or Minley (Gibraltar Barracks). Therefore, it is recommended that the DIO further invests in upgrading all the present site, not just the Museum, to make it fit for purpose, rather than in brand new facilities, to prevent the dislocation of Army musicians from their 160-year heritage which is represented by the Grade 2 Listed Building “Kneller Hall”. “Save Kneller Hall as the Royal Military School of Music, not a passé Museum”