Ghana Police Band
THE FORMATION OF GOLD COAST POLICE BAND
The three hundred (300) Hausa men that constituted the First and Second Battalions of infantry played a significant role in the formation of the Gold Coast Police Band. During their leisure times, some of them demonstrated their virtuosity by singing and playing their indigenous music which drew the attention of their colonial masters to the need to form a Police Band. Eventually, a number of them were selected and trained to play the western musical instruments.
As it turned out, twenty-five (25) of them later formed the Gold Coast Police Band in 1918. At first, the band was on its own before it was later transferred to the then Police Depot under the Directorship of the first expatriate Bandmaster, B.Y. Marsh, who was appointed in 1923. Since the band was composed of illiterate (Escort Policemen), as shown in the picture in the previous chapter, they were bare-footed, except the bandmaster who was entitled to wear shoes, since he was a colonial master and a General Police Officer. (Ghana Police Service archives).
The Police Depot, now National Police Training School (NPTS), was established by Act of Colonial Office in January 1930. On March 1st 1930, the band, the depot staff, and recruits under the command of Captain J.W. Barlow, who was the then Commanding Officer (CO), moved from the Accra main central barracks which was the then Police Depot, to their present location at Tesano and the old police band building was surrendered to the Public Works Department (P.W.D.) which now stands adjacent to the Government Transport Yard (S.T.C.) at Tudu in Accra. (Passing-out parade programme. 3rd February 2006 at the National Police Training School, Accra.)
As it turned out, twenty-five (25) of them later formed the Gold Coast Police Band in 1918. At first, the band was on its own before it was later transferred to the then Police Depot under the Directorship of the first expatriate Bandmaster, B.Y. Marsh, who was appointed in 1923. Since the band was composed of illiterate (Escort Policemen), as shown in the picture in the previous chapter, they were bare-footed, except the bandmaster who was entitled to wear shoes, since he was a colonial master and a General Police Officer. (Ghana Police Service archives).
The Police Depot, now National Police Training School (NPTS), was established by Act of Colonial Office in January 1930. On March 1st 1930, the band, the depot staff, and recruits under the command of Captain J.W. Barlow, who was the then Commanding Officer (CO), moved from the Accra main central barracks which was the then Police Depot, to their present location at Tesano and the old police band building was surrendered to the Public Works Department (P.W.D.) which now stands adjacent to the Government Transport Yard (S.T.C.) at Tudu in Accra. (Passing-out parade programme. 3rd February 2006 at the National Police Training School, Accra.)
Complet history in link:
