Royal Marines Band and Scots Guard Pipes and Drums Band

[KentuckyCeltophile]

The drummers are moved so fast and yet in complete control so that they lent a gentle tap to the drum. And I did notice that they were in front, also slightly to the side and slanted. Seems like a throwback to another time. It was very cool either way. Thanks all for replying.

[OC Richard]

Attending a performance at the University of Kansas Friday evening. Are they playing tunes we might recognize, not pop tunes, but familiar things?

Cool that you're attending! Seems that this tour is passing on a number of the usual cities, which is a pity.

I've been attending these tours regularly since 1976 and the music the Pipes & Drums play tends to be mostly the same. They would be very familiar "standards" to people who have heard military pipe music.

This is because each regiment has its "regimental tunes" many of which have more or less the function of bugle calls in the old US Army. The regimental tunes of the various units overlap quite a bit, being drawn from a fairly small traditional piping repertoire. So, whether you see the Argylls, the Gordons, the Queens Own Highlanders, the Black Watch, or the Scots Guards, most of the pipe tunes will be the same.

About the repertoire of the Military Band (what Americans would call a "brass band") I don't know much, but they tend to play classic military band compositions, many by Alford, and Sousa.

They will often play some newer compositions such as Highland Cathedral. Sometimes they will debut a new composition by one of the musicians present, pretty cool.

They'll often play some tunes specifically aimed at their American audience, such as the US Military anthems, American patriotic tunes, and perhaps a medley of State songs. (Hearing the Pipes & Drums and Military Band play Country Roads during one of these tours was a highlight for me, I wonder why...)

[Jock Scot]

I don't know if they will play it on tour, but The Royal Marines make an excellent job of playing "The Sands of Iwo Jima".

[Benning Boy]

Cool that you're attending! Seems that this tour is passing on a number of the usual cities, which is a pity.

Military pipe bands are moving up here in Kansas. Back in 1970 The Black Watch performed at Fort Hays Kansas State College, now Fort Hays State University. At the time there were maybe 4,000 students on campus. The performance was in an old livestock show ring converted to a basketball arena. Every seat in the house was pretty good, and they had room to actually march, making an entrance through the same doors that many prize cattle had once passed through. I doubt any British military band ever has, or ever will perform in such a small Kansas venue again. It's Berkley on the Kaw now (KU.)

[OC Richard]

About the complexity of the Scots Guards putting on their plaids, I should point out two things

1) In "the old days" plaids were often just draped around the body fairly loosely, with no attempt at making them regular and neat.

Here are three Scots Guards pipers c1900



2) Today the Scots Guards are odd in having full-width plaids, selvedge-to-selvedge. The other regiments use half-width plaids. So, the Scots Guards plaids are twice as bulky and heavy.

Here you can see how little fabric is in a Black Watch piper's plaid. They have been like this for a century at least.



This photo well shows the huge bulky plaids of The Scots Guards pipers

[OC Richard]

I saw the concert last night, very cool. A fairly large number of kilties in attendance, but also a number of guys I know have kilts but who showed up in trousers (you know who you are.... )

By the way, they announced, and wrote in the programme, that the band of the Royal Marines last toured North America in 1985, the pipes & drums of the Scots Guards last toured North America in 1977. I'd attended the local appearances of both those tours, but I'd forgot how long ago they'd been! How time flies.

The pipes & drums of the Scots Guards were just here in California last September, but not part of a North American tour, but to compete at the Pleasanton Highland Games.

The bands on tour keep getting smaller. This Royal Marines band had one rank of five snare drummers marching in front, in 1985 I count one rank of seven, in 1976 I count two ranks of seven snare drummers, 14 total.

The Scots Guards had ten pipers last night; in 1977 they fielded 16 (the old standard size for an army pipe band).

[KiltedCoop]

Saw the regiment and the guard this week and thoroughly enjoyed the music and the precision. Had a chance to take my bride of 26 years and my 21st Century kilt and waistcoat out for a spin.

[kiltedsniper]

In my opinion, there is nothing like watching a top world band perform.....the precision, the talent, and the all around great satisfaction of watching and listening to some of the best pipers and drummers around. My band has been fortunate enough to be able to play with the Scots Dragoon Guards, amazing people and a whole lot of talent and a lot of fun. We also had the great fortune to be able to play with the Lothian and Borders Pipe band in Estes Park Colo before they disbanded......they definitely knew how to drink the beer..great bunch of people.

[OC Richard]

Just found out on FriendFace this morning that a piper in our band has a brother in the Scots Guards! They hooked up at the Concert, how cool is that.

[Benning Boy]

For me the concert was quite enjoyable, but on the other hand a slight disappointment. I had expected a larger pipe band, like the one form the Black Watch I saw so many years ago. Also, the performance of the drum majors was a let down, after the performance I witnessed at Winter Storm in Kansas City in January.

The musicianship was impressive, however. And the marching, in such tight quarters was the best. I enjoy watching groups marching with military precision -- which lets out 99 percent of US forces who never get the hang of it. For me it's an issue, as a young soldier I was offered a chance to try out as a guard at the Tomb of the Unknows. I turned it down for Officer Candidate School, for which I had already been accepted, and where I became known for my ability to march and drill. Watching the red stripes on the marines' trousers snap straight with every step really caught my eye. Not one stepped forward with toes pointed to the sky. There was no diddy bopping as we used to say. Oh, how I loved all that.

Many tunes played were familiar. I could hardly contain myself as the urge to sing along was stong: March of the British Grenadiers, Men of Harlech, Soldiers of the Queen, Scotland the Brave, Amazing Grace and others, even the United States Army song. Yes they played The American Military Salute, but as usual out of proper order. They ended with the United States Marine Hymn, because, I suppose, A Royal Marine band was playing it, and not the Army song as is correct. (Correctly, the suite begins with the song of the junior service, the Coast Guard, next junior the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and ends with the song of the senior service, the Army.)

If you've missed a performance of the Royal Marines Scotland and the pipes and drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, you've missed a rare chance to see something to raise your spirits. Even my wife, who was in an ill mood when we left home, returned in reasonably good spirits. That military music is strong medicine. If the bands are coming your way, see them, even if you have to call in sick for the night shift, you'll be glad you did.