Regimental & Branch Marches

1. This order prescribes the policy governing the authorization of band marches and calls for the Canadian Forces (CF).

SCOPE

2. Those songs that have become associated, through long use or custom, with one particular unit, or other organization as approved by NDHQ are excluded from the provisions of this order.

DEFINITIONS

3. For the purpose of this order:

authorized march

a. is a musical composition or other arrangement in march form, that, for traditional or other reasons, has become associated with one particular unit, or other organization as approved by NDHQ;

b. musically identifies a unit or other organization as approved by NDHQ;

c. is played on occasions such as march pasts, when the regimental colour is marched on parade, at the end of concerts, at mess dinners, on all other ceremonial occasions where the unit, or other organization as approved by NDHQ is to be identified; and

d. may be in slow, quick or double time.

call

a. is a musical composition played on either a trumpet or bugle, as directed;

b. may be a regimental call that musically identifies a specific regiment, or other organization; or

c. may be a routine call that musically announces or orders specific timings or actions (e.g. Reveille, General Salute, Last Post.)

AUTHORIZATION OF MARCHES AND CALLS

4. Marches and calls shall not be adopted or changed without the prior approval of NDHQ/DMTH (Director Military Traditions and Heritage). Requests for approval shall be forwarded through proper command channels.

5. Regimental calls are unique to one unit or other organization on the Canadian order of battle.

6. Marches are not kept unique to a particular unit or other organization by regulation. However, since they are signature tunes, units or other organizations should consider other CF users. Courtesy letters to these users are appropriate before the request for authorization is forwarded to NDHQ. As a guide, compositions that are technically impressive but fail to linger in the average listener's memory should be avoided. Often, folk or popular melodies are the best.

7. Only one march, in quick time, is normally authorized for any unit, or other organization approved by NDHQ. Customarily, except for armoured and infantry regiments, functional units of the same branch share the same march.

8. Slow marches are authorized only where a unit or other organization has established a traditional right to such marches. In exceptional cases, where a slow march has been composed or arranged for a unit, or other organization as approved by HDHQ, it may also be authorized.

9. Double pasts are authorized only for rifle regiments that traditionally march past in quick and double time on those ceremonial occasions where others march past in slow and quick time.

ADDITIONAL MARCHES

10. The adoption of an additional march or marches may be authorized by NDHQ/DMTH where a band is unable, because of its instrumentation, to play the march or marches specified. Such additional marches shall not supersede the primary march or marches authorized.

11. Units and other organizations that already have additional marches authorized for special occasions, e.g. mounted parades, may continue their use. It is no longer the practice to authorize multiple marches because this reduces the ability to use marches for musical identification.

12. Regular Force professional brass-reed bands must obtain copies of all authorized marches.

13. Other brass-reed bands must obtain copies of all authorized marches:

a. of their command; and

b. that they could reasonably be expected to need.

14. Copies of those marches listed in Annex A as Property of Organization can be obtained from a Regular Force professional band, or the Canadian Forces Music Centre (CFMusC), Ottawa.

15. Authorized marches are listed in Annex A. The titles reflect the order of precedence for CF units and other organizations established in CFAO 61-6, Precedence.

16. Authorized calls can be found in A-PD-202-001/FP-000, Canadian Forces Band Instructions.

17. Marches often are, but need not be, played at mess dinners. For customary guidance, at routine dinners and dining-in nights, generally only the march of the unit or other organization concerned is played. Commonly, if representatives of other units or organizations are officially hosted at dinners, their marches are also played; private guests are not normally so honoured. See CFAO 61-12, Toasts for parallel comparisons. Nothing in this guideline, however, prevents a parade of marches for all attendees. The host determines the protocol to be followed and notifies attendees normally during the dinner.

18. At a mess where it is the custom to follow a mess dinner with a parade of marches, the order of precedence established in CFAO 61-6 will be followed. Command marches will be played only when a general officer of a command headquarters is a guest, or at command functions. Similarly, area and district marches will be played only when a senior officer at the headquarters is an official guest, or at area or district functions. Marches eligible to be played in a number of positions in the sequence shall be played in the most senior position only. Marches of allied units or organizations may be played in a position within the order of precedence as deemed appropriate by the host. If a parade of marches includes both organization (command, formation, unit) and branch marches, the current appointments of many individuals will allow them to identify with more than one, e.g., a navy logistics branch member now serving with and attending an Air Command Headquarters mess dinner.

Note - Numbers in brackets in this annex identify the publisher, based on the following legend:

(1) Boosey & Hawkes
(2) Waterloo
(3) Paterson
(4) Norman Richardson
(5) Fischer
(6) McCulloughs
(7) Gordon V. Thompson
(8) Property of organization

Naval Operations Branch
"Heart of Oak" (8).

Artillery Branch

Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (RCHA)

- For dismounted parades: "British Grenadiers" (8). Slow march for concerts, mess dinners and parades: "Bonnie Dundee" (1).

Armoured regiments

Armoured Branch	"My Boy Willie" (1).
The Royal Canadian Dragoons	For concerts, mess dinners and mounted parades: "Monsieur Beaucaire" (1). For dismounted parades: "Light of Foot".
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	"Soldiers of the Queen"(1).
12e Regiment blinde du Canada	"Marianne's s'en va-t-au moulin (8). Slow march: "Quand vous mourrez de nos amours" (8).
The Governor General's Horse Guard	"Men of Harlech" (1).
8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)	"The Galloping 8th Hussars" (8). Slow march "The 8th Hussars" (tune "Road to the Isles") (1).
The Elgin Regiment	"I'm Ninety-Five" (1). For trumpet band: "Waltzing Matilda" (8).
The Ontario Regiment	"John Peel" (1).
The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)	"Braganza" (1).
Sherbrooke Hussars	"Regimental March of the Sherbrooke Hussars"(8).
1st Hussars	"Bonnie Dundee" (1).
The Prince Edward Island Regiment	"Old Solomon Levi" (8).
The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)	(1) and "St. Patrick's Day" (1).
The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)	"I'm Ninety-Five" (1).
South Alberta Light Horse	"A Southerly Wind and a Cloudy Sky"(1).
The Saskatchewan Dragoons	"Punjaub" (1).
The King's Own Calgary Regiment	"Colonel Bogey" (1).
The British Columbia Dragoons (5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards)	"Fare Ye Well Inniskilling" (1). For pipe bands: "Scotland the Brave" (3).
The Fort Garry Horse	"El Abanico" (1) and "St. Patrick's Day" (1). Slow march: "Red River Valley" (8).
Le Regiment de Hull	"La marche de la victoire" (8).
The Windsor Regiment	"My Boy Willie" (1).

Military Engineering Branch(1).

"Wings"

Communications and Electronics Branch

"The Mercury March" (8).

1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signals Regiment

"Corps March of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals" (Begone Dull Care) (8).

Infantry Branch
"The Canadian Infantryman"(2).

Infantry regiments

The Royal Canadian Regiment	"The Royal Canadian Regiment" (also published under the title "St. Catherine's") (8). Slow march "Pro Patria" (8).
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Medley of: "Has Anyone Seen the Colonel?", "Tipperary" and "Mademoiselle from Armmentieres"(8). Slow march: "Lili Marlene" (8).
Royal 22e Regiment	"Vive la Canadienne" (8). "La priere en famille". Slow march: "Marche lente du Royal 22e Regiment" (8).
former Canadian Airborne Regiment	"The Longest Day" (8).
Governor General's Foot Guard	"Milanollo" (1). Slow march "Figaro" (4).
The Canadian Grenadier Guards	"British Grenadiers" (1). Slow march: "Grenadiers Slow March" (1)(also played in quick time when entering camp or barracks)
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada	"The Buffs" (1) and "The Maple Leaf Forever" (2). Double Past: "Money Musk" (1).
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada	"The Highland Laddie" (1). Slow march: "The Red Hackle" (8).
Les Voltigeurs de Quebec	"Les Voltigeurs de Quebec" (8).
The Royal Regiment of Canada	"British Grenadiers" followed by "Here's to the Maiden" (1).
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)	"The Mountain Rose" (1).
The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment	"The Buffs" (1).
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment	"I'm Ninety-Five" (1).
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment	"The Lincolnshire Poacher" (1).
4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers)	(as for the Royal Canadian Regiment)
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada	"The Highland Laddie" (1) and "Seann Triubhas" (3).
The Grey and Simcoe Foresters	"The 31st Greys" (8).
The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)	"The Campbells are Coming" (3) and "John Peel" (1).
The Brockville Rifles	"Bonnie Dundee" (1).
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders	"Bonnie Dundee" (1).
Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent	"Reves canadiens" (8).
Le Regiment de la Chaudiere	"Sambre et Meuse" (5) and "The Longest Day" (8).
4e Bataillon, Royal 22e Regiment (Chateauguay)	(As for the Royal 22e Regiment)
6e Bataillon, Royal 22e Regiment	(as for the Royal 22e Regiment)
Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal	"The Jockey of York" (1).
The Princess Louise Fusiliers	"British Grenadiers" (1).
Royal New Brunswick Regiment	1st Battalion: "A Hundred Pipers" (3) 2nd Battalion: "The Old North Shore"(8).
West Nova Scotia Regiment	"God Bless the Prince of Wales" (1).
Nova Scotia Highlanders	"The Sweet Maid of Glendaruel" (3). 1st Battalion: "The Atholl Highlanders" and "The Piobaireachd of Donald Dhu" (3). 2nd Battalion: "The Highland Laddie" (3).
Le Regiment de Maisonneuve	"Sambre et Meuse" (5).
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa	"The Piobaireachd of Donald Dhu" (3) and > "Bonnie Dundee"(3).
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles	"Old Solomon Levi" (Pork, Beans and Hard Tack) (8). Double Past: "Keel Row" (1).
The Essex and Kent Scottish	"The Highland Laddie" (3) and "A Hundred Pipers" (3).
48th Highlanders of Canada	"The Highland Laddie" (3).
Le Regiment du Saguenay	"Le Regiment du Saguenay" (8).
The Algonquin Regiment	"We Lead, Other Follow" (8).
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)	"The Campbells are Coming" (3).
The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment	"The Highland Laddie" (3).
The North Saskatchewan Regiment	"The Jockey of York" (1). For pipe bands: "The Meeting of the Waters" (8).
The Royal Regina Rifles	"Lutzow's Wild Hunt" (1). Double past: "Keel Row" (1).
The Rocky Mountain Rangers	"The Meeting of the Waters" (8).
The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)	"Bonnie Dundee" (1).
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada	"The Piobaireachd of Donald Dhu" (3) and "Bonnie Dundee" (3).
The Royal Westminster Regiment	"The Maple Leaf Forever" (2).
The Calgary Highlanders	"The Highland Laddie" (3) and "Blue Bonnets Over the Border" (3).
Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke	"Queen City" (8).
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada	"The Piobaireachd of Donald Dhu" (3)
The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)	"Blue Bonnets Over the Border" (3).
The Royal Montreal Regiment	"Ca ira" (1).
The Irish Regiment of Canada	"Gary Owen" (6).
The Toronto Scottish Regiment	"Blue Bonnets Over the Border" (3).
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment	"The Banks of Newfoundland"(8).

other Branches

Air operations

"RCAF March Past" (1).

Logistics	"March of the Logistics Branch" (8).
Medical	"The Farmer's Boy" (8).
Dental	"March of the Royal Canadian Dental Corps" (2). Slow march: "Greensleeves" (8).
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering	"REME Corps March Past" (Both "Lillibulero" and "Aupres de ma blonde" should be played) (1). Slow march: "The Craftsman" (8).
Chaplain	was "Onward Christian Soldiers"; has been changed to Ode to Joy" (8).
Security	"Thunderbird" (8).
Legal	"When I, Good Friends, Was Call'd to the Bar" (8).
former Administration	"Old Comrades" (1).
Band:	No march authorized.
Personal Selection	"Semper Intellegere" (Rondo Sentimentale).
Training Development	"Salut" (8).
former Physical Education and Recreation	"Allsports March" (8).
Public Affairs:	No march was authorized, now "Liberty Bell"
Intelligence	"E Tenebris Lux" (8).
Postal	"First Post" (8).

MISCELLANEOUS

NOT IN ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

>

Academic Staff of Canadian Military Colleges	"March of the Peers from Iolanthe" (8)
Combat service support units	"Duty Above All" (8).
Canadian Forces Leadership and Language Academy	"Our Challenge" (8).
former Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School	"Ut Duces Sint" (8).
Aerospace Maintenance Development Unit	for pipe band: "Salute to Excellence"
Canadian Forces Publication Depot	"The Great Little Army"
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown Technical Services	"With Equal Pace" (8).
Canadian Forces Base Montreal	"Servir" (8).
Canadian Forces Base Ottawa	"My Canada" (8).
Canadian Forces Publication Depot	"The Great Little Army" (1).
25 Canadian Forces Supply Depot	"March 25 CFSD" (8).
Canadian Forces Parachute Maintenance Depot	"There's Something About a Soldier" (8).
Canadian Forces Recruit School	"Apprendre a servir" (8).
Cadet Instructor Cadre Officers	"La feuille d'erable" (8)
Royal Canadian Army Cadets	"Cadet" (8).
Royal Canadian Air Cadets	"RCAF March Past" (1).

Issued 1994-12-16

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Regimental Marches of the CF
posted by Captain ( retired) Timothy R. Groulx SBStJ CD
e-mail: Tim Groulx
sponsored by: Lakewood Appraisal Services
last updated December 2012