Відео

Back in '81, it was even different because some Regiments had bands at the level of the Battalion, while most of the Corps had several bands each. I have watched the above many times since the '80s but from the perspective of 2024 it just looks like a different world. A gigantic band like the above is almost like a super-organism. The way that sound sways and rocks backwards and forwards! Presumably the sound in the centre was truly deafening. But in general what we see is awesome in the truest sense ... and it's easy to wonder if they are doing it as much for themselves as for us!

@@sidpheasant7585 Yes it was deafening in the centre and no musicians were wearing ear plugs! As you say a different world, the army bands of 1961 or 1951 could have not fitted into Wembley Stadium. Many don't realise that when talking about the past, but not you

Right O. Old Chap.!!

Haute Culture musicale qui semble inconnue en France

Going way back, most of the Garrison towns used to hold Tattoos, partly as a "meet and greet" the citizens, partly as cultural events, partly to encourage recruitment and partly to help service charities. This of course alongside official and national commemorations of various kinds mixing national, educational, commemorative and entertainment purposes. A few events developed in a more commercial-looking direction (with the Edinburgh Tattoo for example representing the Armed Forces' contribution to the wider Edinburgh Festival). The Royal Tournament was an annual (recruitment-aimed) event held indoors, which was not only military music but also other activities put on by the Armed Forces. However, the semi-open-air Stadium at White City, built for the Empire Games and later hosting the Olympics became a 1950s venue for the "Searchlight Tattoos" presenting music of the above kind (and somewhat similar scale) for SSAFA - the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Association. White City was eventually closed, but in the 1970s the attention turned to Wembley, the idea of the "Military Musical Pageant" (as realised fully effectively) being to host "the Biggest Band Show in the World". Mostly this was Army Bands only, and in the interests of the charity called the Army Benevolent Fund. The 1977 event at Wembley became Tri-Service, though, because that was the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, and was also connected with a Review of the Reserves and Territorial Army. Though I was a regular attendee at local Tattoos, and went to ones in Lincoln and Aldershot, and although I once attended the Royal Tournament in London every year, Beating Retreat on Horseguards Parade (also for charity) a number of times, the Edinburgh Tattoo maybe 3 times, and so on, I only went to Wembley once, and that was in 1985 - the last time the Military Musical Pageant was ever run. It was absolutely amazing, and all the more so because the bands played in the pouring rain at one point! As was typical for the event, the number of people playing in the bands reached around 2000! These days such giant events are completely impossible as there are not enough military bands left in the UK, and in general the Armed Forces have been reduced to a ridiculously small size - a story that has finally been making the headlines in recent weeks. Events with 200+ band personnel are still quite possible in the UK, though, and of course are also of high quality and great interest. The Royal Corps of Army Music is now down to just 14 Regular Army Bands (750 musicians), though we can still add to that Bands associated with the Reserves, and Regular Bands of the Royal Marines and RAF, so a band of over 1000 is probably still possible. The events at Wembley featured perhaps 60 different Army bands (a lot of different ceremonial uniforms to identify, as you see above!!!) The peak sadness here came with the establishment of what are called the "British Army Bands" at Sandhurst, Catterick, Tidworth and Colchester. As you will gather from these generic names, they were established by merging bands that had no historical relationships at all. Once each Battalion had a Band, then each Regiment, then Corps and now the whole Army. This happened during the pandemic period, and at first these bands were even brass-only: a kind of scandal! Many people STILL do not realise that old favourites (as seen in the above film) like the Bands of the Parachute Regiment, Royal Engineers, Royal Signals, Army Air Corps, Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Engineers, Lancers, Hussars, Dragoons and so on have ALL GONE forever. Even the Royal Artillery Bands, some of which were the first of all to be founded in the British Army back in the 18th century... In fairness, most of the bands we have performed at Her Late Majesty's funeral, did a wonderful job (really shaping the whole atmosphere), and WERE enough to meet the task. And I suppose you might argue that scenes like the above were a bit "over the top" - but it was fun while it lasted, as I can vouch...

Well said and absolutely true.. just a question , do the foot guards still have their own bands as what I understand from a comment its now army musicians dressed in any military uniform that suits the occasion ?