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Welcome to the website of the Ghana Police Bands ! We provide quality service .These bands are based throughout the regions of Ghana.
THE GHANA POLICE BAND
The Gold Coast Police Band which is now Ghana Police Band was established with Twenty-five (25) men 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 illiterates (Escort Policemen), they were bare-footed, except the bandmaster who was entitled to wear shoes, because he was a colonial master and a General Police Officer.
The Police Depot, now National Police Training School (NPTS), was established by Act of Colonial Officer 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 is now located adjacent to the Government Transport Yard (S.T.C) at Tudu in Accra.
At present, the Police Band comprises the Regimental the Dance Bands. The brass band is an extract from the brass section of the Regimental Band. The Central Band which is based in the Capital town of Ghana, Accra is the Headquarters of all the bands.The Ghana Police Band consists of the Central band and eight Regional bands based in some regions of Ghana .
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING
Once a potential musician has been auditioned and accepted into the Police Service through the recruitment selection process, he or she is expected to complete the Phase One Training at the National Police Training School (NPTS) in Accra and other Training Schools where he or she undergoes six to nine months basic training with other recruits selected for general Police duties.
The musicians, after graduating from the training school (NPTS), are posted to the band for the commencement of the Phase 2 training known as The Foundation Course which is by way of an in-service training for another six months. The aim is to acquaint them with the ethics of the Policeman as a musician, and to attain a particular set standard before they are enrolled into the main band, thus the Regimental Band and the Dance Band.
This initial assessment helps to ensure that musicians receive training tailored to their individual aptitude and achieve the aim of passing the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) graded courses, a correspondence course administered in the United Kingdom.
In the early 1960s, recruitment was based on interest. Anybody who was interested in music and had the requisite Police features was enlisted and trained as an instrumentalist because, around that period, it was difficult for someone to own up, especially with reed players. As the days rolled by, consideration was given to those who could play an instrument but did not have the features of being a Police officer by way of height. Others with paper qualifications who were not musicians used the band as a pivotal entry into the Police Service. After being with the band for a period of time, they found their way into the General Duty Stream
SOURCES OF INSTRUMENTATION
Ever since the Police Band was formed, musical instruments were ordered from the United Kingdom, from either Boosey & Hawkes or Besson and Sons to be precise. During the early 1960s, purchasing of instruments shifted to Selmer Company also in the United Kingdom.
According to Mr. Okrah, when he took over as the Director of Music in 1971, the then Insp. Gen. of Police (I.G.P.) Mr. F. P. Kyei, assisted the band to take delivery of full sets of instruments from Boosey & Hawkes. In recent years, the acquisition of musical instruments for the Police Band has become a matter of concern for the Police administration, since the budget government allocates to the Police is inadequate. Currently the instruments the band is using are the consignments that were bought from Boosey & Hawkes Company in the United Kingdom in 1986 during which time Mr. C.V.K. Tuadzra was the Director of Music. Even then, he had to battle it out with government officials as far as to the presidency level before he was considered.
Even though we still maintain these instruments, some have actually gone bad and the current Police administration was compelled to do some purchasing in China in 2007 to augment the existing ones.
THE BAND REPERTOIRE IN DIACHRONIC AND SYNCHRONIC CONTEXTS
In the early years of the band, its repertoire consisted mainly of Western classical music which derived from the Western Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. The repertoire was made up of concertos, oratorios, symphonies, overtures, selections, grand marches, suites, solos, and many others. These pieces were labeled and classified by the | 
