The band’s alumni is organising a dinner celebration to commemorate the event.
“Our objective for the dinner is to offer us the chance to meet with all the band members and reconnect.
“Each year there will be about 80 band members,” SJICB vice-president Md Azmi Abd Ghani said, adding that the alumni members were in the band in the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s.
He said he hoped to be able to get band members from the 60s, former Johnnians as well as music lovers to join the event to liven it up.
Azmi also said that they would be flying the colours given to them by Queen Elizabeth II via the British Resident of Selangor at the event.
“We are currently in negotiations with the Defence Ministry to get acknowledgement on the colours,” he added.
The band’s history started in 1916 when it was known simply as Platoon C and was solely a military band playing drums and bugles with the British army as its patron.
“Until today, we still wear the same official clothes that is known as the Number 1 uniform at very important functions,” Azmi said.
The school was occupied by the Japanese during the years of war and the band ceased activity until after the war when the school reopened.
“Sometime in the 1960s, the late Datuk Brother Lawrence Spitzig, one of the institution’s dedicated educators, together with the late bandmaster Captain Boudville increased the number of band members to 60 who played additional instruments namely the trumpets, bass and clarinets,” Azmi said.
In 1972, the bagpipe section of the band was formed, bringing the total number of members to 80.
These days, while remaining essentially a marching band, the SJICB has also included performance marching as part of its repertoire since 2001 onwards after the Drum Core International concept kicked in.
“SJICB were the Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur champions in 2009 and 2010 and emerged second at the national level. They were the best colour guards at nationals last year,” Azmi said.
The band was adopted by the Royal Malaysian Navy last year and is now known as the SJI Naval Cadet Band.
Among the activities and performances planned for the celebration is a colour guards show, drumline show, tribute to bandmasters and more.
The event will be held on April 30 at the grand ballroom of De Palma Hotel, Ampang from 7.30pm onwards.
For details, call 012-288 1874 (Azmi) or 012-386 3653 (Roz).
