Grenadier Guards bandsmen, football team.
 

1911/1912.

Thank you.
They are the corps of drums, not the band. One man has a fine display of four good conduct badges [worn inverted to show against the fleur-de-lys arm braid. At least 16 years service. Both band and drums tended to have long-serving soldiers, the band particularly, as it was a reasonably well remunerated and prestigious profession.

Superb group, thank you again.

Edit: says Drums 1911-1912 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for correcting my terminology. Military ranks are a nightmare for the uninitiated. I saw the "Drums" on the football but assumed that as they wore what appeared to me to be bandsmen's uniforms, they were bandsmen.

P.S. Charlie Watts was in a band and he played the drums.:)

Whereas the band uniform was incredibly expensive with lots of gold lace [to put it crudely!] the Drums lace is unique and almost smothers the tunic.

The band uniform is now much simpler but the Drums have clung to their ancient privileges ............. after all, they were senior to and better paid than the band.
Odd really, considering the relative simplicity of drum, bugle and fife compared with mastering an instrument or two, but the disparity is ancient, going back to drummers being "not rank and file" and as the means of passing commands in noisy and smoke filled battle.

As I said, great photo, thank you very much.

That is indeed a great photo. All the OR drummers are wearing the tunic still seen today, but the senior NCO (band master or Drum Major?) is wearing the special tunic festooned with gold lace, which is of course no longer worn.

CB

Coldstream Guards Senior Drum Major Scott Fitzgerald - 2017

More Lurex than gold lace!

Tim

Drum major. Probably not an NCO, almost certainly WO2. I think that WO 1 is not unheard of but lack references other than hearsay.

The bandmaster is commissioned.

Yes, I did not make it clear that the genuine gold lace tunics are no longer worn. As with officer tunics, quality of materials and has changed drastically over the past fifty or more years.

CB

Nice images.
Andy