The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas
Director of Music
Captain Esther Hayes
Captain Esther Hayes joined the British Army in 1998. She went on to complete the Musician’s Foundation Course at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall in January 2000. Her first assignment was to The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals in Blandford as a flute player. Here, she focussed on her aspiration to become a Bandmaster, and was successfully selected for a place on the Bandmaster’s Course at the Royal Military School of Music in 2003.
After the successful completion of the Bandmaster’s Course in 2006 newly promoted Warrant Officer Class 1 Freeborn took up the appointment as Bandmaster of The Band of the Parachute Regiment in Colchester. In 2011, she was assigned to The Band of The Life Guards and completed the Household Cavalry Mounted Dutyman Course.
In January 2014, Warrant Officer Class 1 Freeborn deployed to the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Kabul. She completed a 9 month tour, mentoring an Afghan Officer in lesson development and maintenance, as well as managing 64 Afghan interpreters.
On her return, Warrant Officer Class 1 Freeborn took up the appointment of Bandmaster to The Band of The Queen’s Division at RAF Henlow.
In 2017 Warrant Officer Class 1 Hayes went onto take over the role of School Bandmaster at the Royal Military School of Music. She then took up assignment as Operations Officer for Regional Bands Headquarters at London District, Horse Guards. Here she was selected for commission in October 2019 to Late Entry Captain. Captain Hayes was selected for the newly developed role of Senior Instructor Subsequent Trade Training at the Royal Military School of Music. During her tenure saw the closure of Kneller Hall with a fresh start in new working space at Gibraltar Barracks, Minley.
Captain Hayes is proud to be serving in her first appointment as Director of Music in the Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas.