Band Music of Virgin Island

European-based military ensemble music first arrived to the Virgin Islands through ship-based ensembles as well as the small military bands of the Danish groups based on the islands. Constant ensemble shows were given by Danish artists in Charlotte Amalie at least during in the early 1888 at the Emancipation garden bandstand. The Local Brass ensemble, reportedly the initial former ensemble of the indigenous artists, was established under the direction of Lionel Roberts in the year 1907, while the Adams Juvenile ensemble emerged in the year 1910 and it is inducted to the United State Navy when there service took over the government of the islands from Denmark in the year 1917. The inauguration of this all-black unit into the United States navy was notable for its time and this was regarded as the first black artists in the United State Navy since the War of 1812. The United States navy ensemble of the Virgin Island gave a constant public shows on St. Thomas until the withdrawal of the naval government in the year 1931 and not long after its establishing more two navy ensemble units which were located in the St. Croix. Alton August Adams, Sr., the initiator of the Juvenile ensemble and the bandleader of the navy band, who also wrote the Virgin islands Mach in the year 1919, which is now the official territorial anthem of the Virgin islands, as well as The Governor’s Own, the official parade of the Virgin Island Governor. Apart of the single living bamboula arrangement, Adams parades are entirely in the normal American parade pattern of his idol known John Philip Sousa.

source of picture: stthomassource.com