View source for Band of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Band of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces
| native_name                   = Репрезентативни оркестар Гарде Војске Србије
| image                         = Guards band.jpg
| image_size                    = 160px
| caption                       = Band at the arrival ceremony of [[Petro Poroshenko]], 2018.
| dates                         = 1831–present
| country                       = {{Flag|Serbia}}
| allegiance                    =
| branch                        = [[File:Generalštab VS.gif|25px]] [[Serbian General Staff]]
| type                          = [[Military Band]]
| size                          =
| command_structure             = [[File:Grb 1.svg|18px]] [[Serbian Armed Forces]]
| garrison                      = [[Topčider]], [[Belgrade]]
| garrison_label                =
| march                         =
| anniversaries                 =
| battles                       =
| commander1                    =
| commander1_label              =
| commander2                    =
| commander2_label              =
| commander3                    =
| commander3_label              =
| notable_commanders            = Dragutin Pokorný (1921-1924)<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/11415740|title=Српске Војне Музике У Земљама Савезника Током Великог Рата (1916–1918) /Serbian Military Bands/Orchestras in Allied Countries During the Great War (1916–1918)|journal=Vojno-Istorijski Glasnik 2(2014): 20-41|last1=Vasiljevic|first1=Maja}}</ref>
| identification_symbol         =
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}}
The '''Band of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces''' ({{langx|sr|Репрезентативни оркестар Гарде Војске Србије|Reprezentativni orkestar Garde Vojske Srbije}}) is the official representative [[military band]] of the [[Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces]] and the Serbian Armed Forces in general. It provides musical support to the [[President of Serbia|President of the Republic]] and the [[Serbian General Staff]].
== History ==
[[File:Serbian Military Band, 1904.jpg|thumb|Royal Guard Band, 1904]]
The first military band in [[Serbia]] was founded in 1831 by decree of Prince [[Miloš Obrenović]] under the title of ''Knjaževsko–Serbska Banda''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mod.gov.rs/eng/tekst/12501/koncert-orkestra-garde-12501|title=Concert of Guard Orchestra|website=Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia}}</ref> The chief of the band was bandmaster Josip Slezinger who was sent to Kragujevac by prince's brother Jevrem. Dressed in ornate uniforms, the bands performed during plays in the Prince's Thetare. During that period many Serbian newspapers published articles in which they compared the band with the most experienced of Europe, including the [[French Republican Guard Band]] and the [[Band of the Grenadier Guards]]. In 1899, Serbian [[composer]], [[Conducting|conductor]], and [[pedagogue]] [[Stanislav Binički]] began collaborating with the Belgrade Military Band and at the beginning of the 20th century, he founded the Royal Guard Band on the basis of the Prince's Band, being the only professional band at that time in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vs.rs/en/article/AF8F3BDCED8211E4ABAB00163E135070/guard-representative-orchestra|title = Guard-Representative Orchestra &#124; Serbian Armed Forces}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jiZxDwAAQBAJ&q=Bini%C4%8Dki+Military+Band&pg=PT240 | title=Popular Song in the First World War: An International Perspective| isbn=9781351068666| last1=Mullen| first1=John| date=2018-09-18}}</ref><ref>Ковачевић Крешимир и сарадници „Музичка енциклопедија” Југославенски лексикографски завод Загреб 1971.
</ref> During his time with the band, he introduced its members to a more classical repertoire with pieces such as [[Franz Schubert]]'s [[Symphony No. 8 (Schubert)|8th Symphony]] and [[Antonín Dvořák]]'s [[Slavonic Dances]].{{sfn|Tomašević|2009|p=37}}
In 1945, the band was re-founded by order of Marshal [[Josip Broz Tito]] as the Band of the Guard of the Yugoslav People's Army.{{efn|{{lang-sh-Latn-Cyrl|Reprezentativni orkestar Garde Jugoslovenske narodne armije|Репрезентативни оркестар Гарде Југословенске народне армије}} <br /> {{langx|mk|Репрезентативен оркестар на гардата на Југословенската народна армија|Reprezentativen orkestar na gardata na Jugoslovenskata narodna armija}} <br /> {{langx|sl|Reprezentativni orkester Garde Jugoslovanske ljudske armade}}}} It continued the tradition pioneered by [[Yugoslav Partisans|partisan]] bands in popularizing songs and music from the [[National Liberation War]] and became a cultural institution that developed a wide artistic culture throughout the [[Yugoslav People's Army]]. The task of the band at the time was to perform protocol duties at the highest of bodies in the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] on behalf of the JNA.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Рацков|first=Никола|title=45 година са вама Репрезентативни оркестар гарде|year=1990|publisher=Музичко одељење ССНО|location=Београд}}</ref> With the break-up of Yugoslavia, the Guard Orchestra remained within its scope of work. Protocol tasks at the highest state level, representation of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Armed Forces both at home and abroad have remained the band's primary responsibility.
==Organization==
[[File:Serbian military bandmaster.jpeg|thumb|150px|Bandmaster of the Guard Band]]
Depending on the needs, the band was increased and decreased numerically, which also led to the change of its name. As a rule, the best musicians who played on two or more instruments formed part of the band. Due to this, the band can be organized into the following ensembles:
* Concert band
* Symphony orchestra
* Chamber orchestra
* Chamber brass, woodwind or string ensembles
* Big band/disco orchestra
==Missions==
Band regularly performs on [[state visit|arrival ceremonies]] of foreign state and military dignitaries, on public holidays in Serbia ([[Statehood Day (Serbia)|Statehood Day]] and [[Armistice Day]] in particular), anniversary days of the Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as at the military parades. Other occasions in which the band took part include:
*[[1984 Winter Olympics]]
*1961 and 1989 [[Non-Aligned Movement]] summits of heads of state.
*[[Military tattoo]]s
**[[Modena]] International Military Tattoo (2001)<ref>{{cite web|title=Наступ Репрезантивног оркестра гарде у Модени|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONEB6G0wiJQ}}</ref>
**International Military Music Festival at [[Albertville, France|Albertville]] (2002)
**[[Linz]] Military Bands Festival (2010)
**[[Bremen]] Tattoo (2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/166209/%D0%94%D1%80%D1%83%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE/%D0%93%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%98%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3-%D1%83-%D0%91%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%83|title=Гардијски свинг у Бремену}}</ref>
*[[Liège]] Festival of Military Bands (2014 and 2018), on the centenaries of the outbreak and end of [[World War I]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mRaW5rLT-k|title=Наступ Репрезентативног оркестра гарде у Лијежу}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mod.gov.rs/eng/13017/reprezentativni-orkestar-garde-zadivio-belgiju-13017|title=Representative Orchestra of the Guard made impression in Belgium}}</ref>
A lot of the pieces in the repertoire of the band are written by composer [[Stanislav Binički]], who wrote common marches such as the ''Gardijski marš'', ''[[March on the Drina]]'' and the ''Paradni marš''. Unlike the rest of the armed forces, when on parade, the band does not perform the traditional high step and, before 1975, the [[goose step]].
== List of conductors ==
Since its founding in 1945, the conductors of the band have been:
* Tomaž Zajc (1945-1948)
* Iso Dracula (1948-1955)
* Gvido Uchakar (1956-1963)
* Gojko Bošnjak (1963-1972)
* Mihailo Petras (1972-1973)
* Franc Klinar (1973-1977)
* Mihailo Petras (1977-1984)
* Ilija Ilijevski (1984-1992)
==See also==
* [[Military Band]]
== Notes ==
{{notelist|30em}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
===Sources===
* {{cite book |last=Tomašević |first=Katarina |editor1-last=Rōmanou |editor1-first=Katy |year=2009 |title=Serbian and Greek Art Music: A Patch to Western Music History |chapter=Musical Life in Serbia in the First Half of the Twentieth Century: Institutions and Repertoire |publisher=Intellect Books |location=[[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] |isbn=978-1-84150-278-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u4kZUcgRYGsC}}
[[Category:Military bands]]
[[Category:National symbols of Serbia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Serbia]]
[[Category:Wind bands]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1945]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1945]]
[[Category:1945 establishments in Serbia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1831]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1831]]
[[Category:1831 establishments in Serbia]]