Geoff Kingston
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret'd) Geoff Kingston began his career as a French Horn Player, enlisting into The Staffordshire Regiment in 1964.
In 1966, he attended a Pupil’s course at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, winning the prizes for ‘Instrumental Progress’ and ‘Orchestration’ He rejoined the Regiment in 1967 where he saw service in Berlin, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Canada and the then West Germany.
As a Student Bandmaster at the Royal Military School of Music from 1976 to 1979, he was judged in 1978 ‘The Best Student Bandmaster British Army’, taking prizes for “The Best Quick March Composition”, “Choral Composition”, “Conducting” and won the coveted “Worshipful Company Silver Medal”.
He was appointed as the Regimental Bandmaster of The Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1979 and moved to the Prince of Wales’s Depot, Crickhowell, as the Depot Bandmaster in 1985. Two years later, he took the appointment of School Bandmaster at the Royal Military School of Music.
In 1988, Lieutenant Colonel Kingston was commissioned into The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment and appointed as Director of Music (Infantry North), based in Edinburgh Castle. Here he worked closely with the Regimental Bands of the Scottish and King’s Divisions. In June 1990, he was the Musical Director and co-ordinator for the Scottish Division massed bands Beating Retreat on Horse Guards Parade.
July 1992 saw him appointed Director of Music of the Royal Artillery Alanbrooke Band and, as the Senior Director of Music of the British Army of the Rhine, was responsible for the musical direction and conducting of major ceremonial and massed band events throughout Europe.
Due to the reorganisation of Army Music, Lieutenant Colonel Kingston took a nucleus of the Alanbrooke Band, with volunteers from other Corps and Regiments, to form the Band of The Army Air Corps, based in Middle Wallop. As their founding Director of Music, he served with them from December 1993 to March 1997.
He returned to the “Gunners” in 1997 and served as the Director of Music of the Woolwich Band for three years.
In May 2000, after thirty-six years service, he was appointed Principal Director of Music (Army) in the newly formed Headquarter Directorate Corps of Army Music, Kneller Hall.
In his appointment as the Senior Director of Music (Armed Forces) Lieutenant Colonel Kingston in April 2005, he worked with the World War 2 Commemoration Working Team as the Musical Director for events which took place in London on the 10th July 2005.
Following over 41years in Army Music, he left the Service in September 2005 and has recently visited Singapore as music IT consultant to the Singapore and Malaysian Police Bands.
He is currently the Director of ‘SafeMusic Limited' a company dedicated to publishing music for Concert Wind Band, Brass & Saxophone Quintets, Bagpipes and Brass Band, and presents workshops and demonstrations on behalf of Sibelius Software - a part of Avid - in Wales and the West Country He also gives regular illustrated presentations on the history of military music to charitable institutions. Apart from his musical activities he is a keen photographer and member of the Cardigan Photo Club.