Crescendo Concert Series: Live outside at Rideau Hall

When: July 5 , 2 p.m.

Where: The forecourt of Rideau Hall

Capping our Crescendo Concert Series, Rideau Hall will present an outdoor concert with the full Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Crescendo Concert Series honours Rideau Hall's historic ties with the Central Band, reflecting more than 60 years of musical collaboration.

What to Expect:

  • Seating is available in the forecourt of Rideau Hall and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  Visitors are also welcome to bring personal chairs or blankets.
  • There is no parking on-site. Please park in the adjoining neighbourhood and enter the grounds on foot using the Thomas, Sussex, MacKay or Princess pedestrian gates.
  • Visitors with reduced mobility can be dropped off and picked up at a specific location on-site. To make arrangements, please contact us at guide@gg.ca or 1-866-842-4422 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. 
The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces

The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), under the command of Captain Christine Davies, is one of six full-time Regular Force military bands in the Canadian Armed Forces. The band provides professional music support for the Canadian Armed Forces, The Department of National Defence, and the Government of Canada in addition to the general Canadian public. Although many of their performances take place in the National Capital Region, the band also travels domestically and abroad to perform for special commemorative ceremonies and international events. Dressed in the uniform of the Royal Canadian Air Force, this unit supports all elements of the Canadian Armed Forces and falls under the command of the Commander of the Canadian Forces Support Group (Ottawa-Gatineau).

The band was originally created in 1940 as the Central Band of the Royal Canadian Air Force in preparation for the visit of Prince George, Duke of Kent in 1941. During the Unification of the CAF in 1968, the Central Band of the RCAF merged with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Band to become the National Band of the Canadian Armed Forces. In 1970 it was renamed the Central Band of the CAF.

The Central Band of the CAF has since performed for many audiences in notable performances, such as the first NATO Music Festival of 1969 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, the opening and closing ceremonies to the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, and the XXVI Latvian Song and Dance Festival which took place in multiple Latvian cities in 2018.

The Central Band is composed of three main ensembles: the Concert/Parade Band, Serenade of Strings and the Royal Canadian Air Force Pipes and Drums. Other small ensembles include brass and woodwind quintets and jazz and pop ensembles.