Band of the Irish Guards The Band of the Irish Guards is one of five bands in the Foot Guards Regiment s in the Household Division whose main role is to guard the British monarch . The Band supports the Regiment by providing the musical backing to which much of the duties depend within Central London . Unlike the 1st Battalion , Irish Guards , which moves to various duty stations around the world , the Band is based permanently at Wellington Barracks in St James ' s , London . Regimental marches . The Regimental Quick March is " St Patrick ' s Day " , The Regimental Slow March is " Let Erin Remember " History . The Irish Guards was formed on 1 April 1900 to commemorate the bravery of the many Irish regiments which fought in the South African campaigns . Under the direction of its first Bandmaster , Warrant Officer Charles Hassell , the Regimental Band made its first public appearance the following year . The Band quickly gained a reputation for excellence as evidenced by the glowing press reports in 1905 for what turned out to be the first of many tours of Canada . The citizens of Toronto were so impressed with its performance that they presented the Band with an ornate silver cup , which remains one of its cherished possessions to this day . On 23 January 1923 , the Band made what is believed to be the very first broadcast by a military band , the programme being broadcast live on the 2LO station from a studio in Marconi House in The Strand . In the 1950s the Band was chosen to give the UK premier performance of Paul Hindemith ' s ' Symphony for Concert Band ' . In 1948 , the Band travelled to Palestine to support the Guards battalions involved in the troubles . Sadly , during this time the Band was ambushed and one member , Lance Corporal Ted Jones , was shot and killed . He is buried in Sarafand Military Cemetery . The Band has also made numerous appearances on television and in films , including " The Ipcress File " , and " Oh ! What a Lovely War " , as well as being engaged to whistle ' Colonel Bogey ' for the soundtrack of " The Bridge on the River Kwai " . A number of former Band members have continued their musical careers with national orchestras , including the Hallé , the BBC Symphony and the Royal Opera House , Covent Garden . Two former Directors of Music , Major George Willcocks and Lieutenant Colonel ' Jiggs ' Jaeger , also conducted the Black Dyke Mills Band at the National Brass Band Championships . Over the years the Band has toured extensively , including a visit to Japan in 1972 , where it was accorded the honour of being the first foreign band ever to play in the Imperial Palace in the presence of the Empress and the two Crown Princesses . Three members of the Band served in the first Gulf war in 1990 / 91 , and in June 1999 the Band deployed to Kosovo as part of a NATO peacekeeping force . Major Philip D . Shannon became the first Irish - born Director of Music in the regiment ' s history in 2008 . The band undertook an eleven week coast - to - coast tour of North America in 2010 . In 2012 , the Band were privileged to be part of the Massed Bands of the Foot Guards Fanfare team , playing at the Queen ' s Diamond Jubilee concert in London , as well as part of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics . The Band is currently based at Wellington Barracks in London and provides the musical support for all major ceremonial events in London and Windsor . Drums and Pipes . Like the Scots Guards , the Irish Guards also boast a distinctive national feature in their pipe band . Uniquely in the British Army , the Irish Guards ensemble is referred to as the " Drums and Pipes , " rather than the " Pipes and Drums . " ( Since drums were carried by British soldiers before pipes , the drums are senior . ) They were formed during the First World War , with the first two sets of Great Irish Warpipes being donated by John Redmond , the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party at Westminster , whose son was serving with the regiment as an officer . They were trained by the London Irish Rifles and adopted their pattern of uniform , including the practice of wearing the caubeen badge over the right eye . Unlike the regimental band , pipe bands are based at battalion level , and when additional battalions are raised for wartime service , pipe bands are also raised to accompany them . ( See list of pipe majors below . ) For several decades , Irish Guards pipers carried the Great Irish Warpipes , essentially a two - drone version of the three - drone Great Highland Bagpipe . In 1968 , however , with the forming of the North Irish Brigade into the Royal Irish Rangers , the Highland pipe was standardized throughout the British Army and has been used by the Irish Guards ever since . Members of the regimental band are full - time musicians who , in the past , used to be trained for duty as medical assistants in wartime . Since the introduction of Clinical Governance regulations within the NHS , however , military musicians are deployed in a General Duties role . Pipers and drummers , on the other hand , are full - time soldiers who undertake their musical responsibilities on a part - time basis . Two regimental pipers , Lance Corporals Ian Keith Malone and Christopher Muzvuru , were killed during Operation " Telic " in Iraq . Pipe majors . Original title of " Sergeant Piper " was changed to " Pipe Major " via Army Order 139 of 1928 , change to date from 31 July 1928 . On St . Patrick ' s Day 1991 , the Queen Mother presented the regiment with its first - ever pipe banner . This is carried by the pipe major on the bass drone of his pipes when a member of the Royal Family is present . 1st Battalion Sergeant T . Atkins , 1917 ( ? ) - 36 ; Sgt . F . Cosgrove , 1936 – 39 ; Colour Sgt . R . J . Batt , 1939 – 40 ; WO2 J . Smyth , 1940 – 43 ; Sgt . A . F . Phair , 1943 – 49 ; WO2 J . Ramsey , 1950 – 54 ; WO2 T . R . Ramsey , 1954 – 61 , 1963 – 72 ; Capt . H . F . Groves , 1961 – 63 ; CSgt . W . Lyons , 1972 – 78 ; CSgt . J . M . Johnston , 1978 – 81 ; Sgt . K . J . Frazer , 1981 – 1991 ; Sgt . J . Stranix , 1991 – 1993 ; Sgt . J . Martin , 1993 – 95 ; Sgt . R . Tumulty , 1995 - 00 ; Sgt . R . Allan , 2000 – 05 ; Sgt . D . Rogers , 05 - Present 2nd Battalion Sgt . J . T . Crozier , 1941 – 44 ; CSgt . R . J . Batt , 1945 – 47 ; 3rd Battalion CSgt . R . J . Batt , 1941 – 44 ; Sgt . E . Norbury , 1944 – 46 Training Battalion WO2 J . Smyth , 1940 ; CSgt . R . J . Batt , 1940 – 41 , 1944 – 45 Ensembles . There are several ensembles within the Band of the Irish Guards : Events . The Band of the Irish Guards plays regularly at various events ; it can be found in London performing at the following occasions : The Band will be at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo this year in the month of August .