Army Light Orchestra

Headquartered in Paço de Arcos, the Army Light Orchestra was formed in 1977, succeeding a military musical group created by the Military Region of Lisbon, which had made something of a splash in the early 1970s on an RTP radio programme. Two years later, a law was passed which allowed it to represent the Portuguese Army and collaborate with other branches of the Armed Forces and non-military bodies and organisations. With a Big Band structure, it consists of five saxophones, flute, piccolo, clarinet, four trumpets, four trombones, two keyboards, two violas, two percussionists and three vocalists.