Singapore Armed Forces Band The Singapore Armed Forces Band ( commonly known as the SAF Band ) form the musical arm of the Singapore Armed Forces . Playing a vital role in ceremonial parades and ceremonies , the SAF Band provides musical support for parades such as the National Day Parade , SAF Day Parade , Passing Out Parades , Change of Command Parades and other military duties . Other than discharging Ceremonial Duties , the SAF Band also presents public concerts that aim to bring a wide range of music to the populace . They also seek to build up the band ' s music repertoire into an extensive array of styles and variety . Through the years , the SAF Band have worked with several distinguished conductors and soloists including Frank Renton , Steven Mead , John Sharpley , Evelyn Glennie , Jan Van der Roost , Toshio Akiyama , Yasuhide Ito , Eric Whitacre and Hardy Mertens . More recently , the Band was conducted by Philip Sparke , Frank Ticheli , James Barnes , Roger Swift and Prof . James F Keene of the University of Illinois . The SAF Band has recently represented Singapore at international music festivals . These include the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers street parade in Australia ; the Festival International de Musiques Militaires in Saumur , France ; the Kuala Lumpur Military Tattoo in Malaysia ; the Brunei International Tattoo 2006 in Bandar Seri Begawan , Brunei Darussalam ; and the Wonju Tattoo in Wonju , South Korea . History . Singapore ' s military music would begin a year before it became self - governing . The formation of the Singapore Military Forces Staff Band on June 1 , 1958 spelled the beginning of the nation ' s love affair with military bands . From this core group of 45 musicians would come five generations of military musicians from the Lion City ' s armed services . WO1 Frederick Roy , the 15th / 19th Hussars bandmaster became the first Director of Music of the SMFSB , a duty he did until 1962 . The band ' s main duty then was as musical support to the Singapore Infantry Regiment ' s activities . One of his young musicians , SSGT Abdullah Ahmad , was sent to the Royal Military School of Music for further training , later becoming a Warrant Officer upon graduating . The band ' s first composition , the " Singapore Infantry Regiment March " , later became the Singapore Army ' s official march . Lt . Edward Crowcroft of the York and Northumberland Brigade Band succeeded WO1 Roy in September 1962 as Bandmaster and Director of Music . By November , it became the Singapore Infantry Regiment Band , and WO1 Arthur Edward Hollowell , DOM of the Band of the Parachute Brigade , replaced Lt . Crowcroft . He became a Captain by commission and led the band to its first overseas visit in 1964 : the band ' s visit to Kuala Lumpur as part of the Merdeka Parade on August 31 that year . A year after , WO1 Ahmad was suddenly appointed the Singapore Armed Forces Director of Music , becoming a Lieutenant , and later as Captain . He led the new SIR Band to the very first National Day Parade on the Padang the following year . By 1968 , the band made its first recording under his direction . Two years after , the Band of the Singapore Armed Forces was formed , with joint headquarters with the SIR Band at HQ 1 Singapore Infantry Btn . , Beach Road Camp . They both later moved to HQ 3 SIB at Ulu Pandan Camp and later at 5 SIB at Portsdown Camp , and by 1972 , the latter band was led by a Republic of Singapore Police officer , WO1 Ervin Dragon . By January the next year , a new band , the NSF ( National Service - Full - time ) Band , was formed at Telok Pagu Camp at Changi . WO2 Alan Teo became its first conductor . May saw the first name change for the bands . They were renamed as Alan Teo , by then a Captain , left the DOM post at 2 SIB band by July that year , to join the then newly created SAF Music and Drama Company . Tonni Wei , then a Sergeant and playing with one of the bands , was then studying at the Royal Military School of Music , graduating in October 1976 to become the bandmaster of 2 SIB Band , now commissioned as a Second Lieutenant . In 1975 , the 3 SIB Band soon moved to Jurong Camp , the 3rd Division headquarters . By 1977 , a change of titles happened by January . Tonni Wei joined the MDC and Alan Teo returned to his old post . By February , 3 SIB Band became the SIR Band yet again , and 2nd Lt . Teo joined the now renamed Band of the Republic of Singapore Navy - the former 2 SIB Band - to Sembawang Camp and the RSN School of Naval Training . The SIR Band would later relocate itself at Jurong Camp that May . Peter Yan , then a musician Sergeant with the Army , and a part of the SIR Band , was then studying at Uxbridge at the RAF School of Music for Director of Music training . He graduated the next year and soon joined the RSN Band as its director . Cpt . Ahmad soon retired from his post in May 1979 . As the 1980s arrived , a new director for the SIR Band came in the form of Sgt . Terry Seah , also another RMSM graduate , who also became a commissioned officer in 1981 . By 1982 , the SAR Band ( 4SIB Band ) was soon relaunched as the Republic of Singapore Air Force Band , and would later move to Tengah Air Base . The SIR Band was also relaunched as the Singapore Army Band , but the band ' s new name and image never caught on . As the 1980s progressed the public image of the bands was positive indeed , reinforced with increased participation of the service bands in the NDP and major military events such as the Open Houses as well as their concerts . In 1986 the RSN Band welcomed its first lady musician . Their first appearance together in the NDP was in 1987 ' s edition in the Padang conducted by the SAF ' s first Senior Director of Music MAJ Erwin Dragon , with another joint performance in 1990 . 1988 saw the rebirth of the SAF Music Board and the formation of the SAF Symphonic Wind Band . The SAF Band was formed in 1994 from men and women of the Singapore Infantry Regiment Band , Republic of Singapore Air Force Band and Republic of Singapore Navy Band . The formation of SAF Band come in a restructuring of the bands within the Ministry of Defence for more effective distribution of manpower . From 1994 , the different bands within the SAF Band operated at different camps and locations . The SAF Central Band and SAF Band HQ ( RSNB ) were by the time of the merger in Tanglin Camp , Parade Band B ( RSAFB ) in Tengah Airbase and Parade Band A ( SIRB ) in Pasir Laba Camp , as they formerly represented the three branches of the SAF before their 1994 merger which resulted to these bands playing for the SAF at various events , including their participation in the National Day Parade as regular participants and arrival honours ceremonies at the Istana . These sections combined in November 2003 after the completion of renovations work to the ' White House ' , the former British Colonial Officer ' s Mess in Nee Soon Camp . In 2009 , the Parade Bands were renamed as Ceremonial Bands to reflect their duties more accurately . In the same year , Ceremonial Band C , the youngest of the in - house bands , was formed to meet the growing manpower shortages within the unit . Logo . The logo of SAF Band is a combination of the three services within the armed forces . Light blue signifies the air division , red signifies the land division and deep blue signifies the sea division . They are all united within the lyre , which is a universal symbol of military musicians . The logo is topped with the National Coat Of Arms which was launched on 3 December 1959 together with the National Flag and National Anthem at the installation of the Yang di - Pertuan Negara at the City Hall steps and adopted by government agencies nationwide . Below the logo is a banner inscribed with the Band ' s motto , " In Harmony " . The logo was designed by retired Senior Director of Music MAJ Tonni Wei and Military Expert ( ME ) 3 ( then SSG ) Goh Poh Wah . Structure of SAF Band . The unit is made up of 5 sections : Band HQ , SAF Central Band , SAF Ceremonial Band A , SAF Ceremonial Band B , SAF Ceremonial Band C . Band HQ . The HQ is the main support wing of the SAF Band . It provides logistical and administrative assistance to the operations and training of the SAF Band . It consists of administrative staff and the Training Wing , whose function is to train musicians and to prepare them for their duties in the main bands . The SAF Band HQ is led by the Band ' s Commanding Officer - Senior Director of Music , Military Expert ( ME ) 5 Philip Tng and Regimental Sergeant Major ( RSM ) , ME3 Abdul Razak . The SAF Band Training Wing is led by the bands ' Chief Instructor ME4 Jax Ang , who is also concurrently appointed Director of Music , SAF Ceremonial Band C . The Wing Sergeant Major is ME2 Jonathan Lim , and its instructor is ME2 Morrison Ho . SAF Central Band . The Singapore Armed Forces Central Band is the premier band of the Singapore Armed Forces , and consists of a core of professional regular musicians , supplemented by Full - time National Servicemen ( NSF ) fulfilling their conscript duties . The Central Band is made up of members of the former Republic of Singapore Navy Band performs as a concert band , a marching band as well as a ceremonial band . It is further able to perform in a variety of smaller configurations , of which include a brass quintet , a combo & stage band , ceremonial fanfare trumpeters and a clarinet quartet . The SAF Central Band is most often seen in the public eye at major parades like the National Day and SAF Day parades . On a more regular basis , the band stages three concerts a year as part of its In Harmony and Chamber Repertory series . The SAF Central Band is led by Director of Music , ME4 Steven Tan and Senior Director of Music , ME5 Philip Tng . Its Band Sergeant Major ( BSM ) is ME3 Ong Wee Hong , assisted by Assistant BSM - ME2 Chiu Boon Hwee . The Band was formerly called the 2 Singapore IB Band and later renamed the Republic of Singapore Navy Band before the 1994 merger . SAF Ceremonial Band A . The SAF Ceremonial Band A was formerly known as the Singapore Infantry Regiment ( SIR ) Band , the oldest of the five bands having been formed in 1958 . With the restructuring of the bands in 1994 , the SAF Ceremonial Band A evolved as one of the two Parade bands of the Singapore Armed Forces . The band ' s duties include most official parades like the monthly Istana Changing of the Guards Ceremony , Specialist Cadet School ( SCS ) Graduation Parade , Officer Cadet School ( OCS ) Commissioning Parades , Guard of Honour ( GOH ) Parades for visiting dignitaries and other internal SAF ceremonies . The SAF Ceremonial Band A is made up of Full - time National Servicemen ( NSF ) and led by Director of Music , ME4 Johnson Lee . Its BSM is ME3 Hussin Hozairi , assisted by Assistant BSM - ME2 Ng Kay Lim . SAF Ceremonial Band B . Formerly the Republic of Singapore Air Force ( RSAF ) Band , the band was subsequently renamed the second ceremonial band of the Singapore Armed Forces . Co - sharing duties with the other ceremonial bands , the Ceremonial Band B is constantly on the go as they perform to dignitaries , officials and the public . They are most often publicly seen marching down Orchard Road for the Istana Changing of the Guards Ceremony with the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command ' s Silent Precision Drill Squad every first Sunday of the month ( save for July and August ) . The SAF Ceremonial Band B also regularly fulfils other SAF - wide commitments like GOH Parades . Comprising mostly full - time National Servicemen , the SAF Ceremonial Band B is led by Acting Director of Music ME3 Goh Poh Wah . Its BSM is ME3 Radin Yusoff , assisted by Assistant BSM - ME2 Tan Cheng Kim . SAF Ceremonial Band C . The band was formed in 2009 as the third ceremonial band of the Singapore Armed Forces . It shares duties with the other ceremonial bands on duty . Comprising mostly full - time National Servicemen , the band is led by Director of Music ME4 Jax Ang . Its BSM is ME3 Maswan , assisted by Assistant BSM - ME2 Ginny Tham Discography . Incomplete listing