Military Musicians

Any military ex, or serving musicians out there ?
Memories of Tattoos, Berlin etc.
Shutzentfests ?
Tours ?
BFN Broadcasts?

Watching the World athletics last week reminded me of the 1st (1960ish?) Berlin tattoo in the Olympic Stadium. a one off prformance with a dozen or more bands and performed in torrential Rain -- No cover for the audience in those days! but how they loved it. We stayed in what was the Olympic village converted to barracks. I think the Manchester Regt were stationed there
My very first 'gig' on joining the band (3rd Carabiniers) in '55 was a tour of N.Germany with a German and French band. For some (political) reason the German Army band wasn't alowed into Berlin so we had the pleasure of performing with the fantastic Berlin Police Band.

Was at Edinbough Tattoo in 2007 with no cover and it pissed it down.

Saw the 2009 Tattoo on BBC1 and still no cover!

Bring back the Royal Tournament.

Mike_2817 wrote:

Was at Edinbough Tattoo in 2007 with no cover and it pissed it down.
Saw the 2009 Tattoo on BBC1 and still no cover!

Bring back the Royal Tournament.

Edinburgh was allways a 'wet one ' with a mad rush for the drying rooms most nights to get kit dry for the next performance. White blanco didn't sit well on buckskin belts on wet red tunics.

Saw it on Tv last week -- stayed fine but less and less bands each year (apart fom 'pipe bands' that is ) They even import those from China now

I was in the CFE (Canadian Forces Europe) Pipe Band 72-74. One interesting trip was in 73 to Switzerland we were allowed to be in uniform (RCAF Tartan) but our military buses had all military markings covered. It was for an International Police Band Festival. All the pipers (excluding the Pipe Major) and drummers were volunteers. Everything from pay clerks to jet jockeys. We had fantastic times on different parades. Only had to play Amazing Grace once or twice and you drank free all night. Our pipe major was quite good at playing a rendition of Horst Wessel Leid, kind of made people sit up and pay attention. It was always neat to speed up the beat while a visiting dignitary was inspecting the honour guard and watch them pick up the pace. Oh boy, some real memories with that crew. Don't play the pipes any more, fingers to fat and my lungs would likely come out the end of the chanter.

Speaking of pipe bands....

During one of my surfings around the Net looking for anything on Iserlohn/Soest/Hemer/etc., I came across a personal site, I think it was anyway, that had several photos of the Iserlohn Pipe Band.

I forget their name, now, but they are a German Pipe and Drum Band...oh!, I remember....Sauerland Pipe and Drum -- there ya go!

They march in a lot of the local Schutezenfests. Quite different from the usual brass and glockenspiel marching bands one usually finds in such parades. I have no idea what their tartan was...I assume it was an "official" tartan. Their Drum Major was very imposing, complete with bearskin, full regalia, even the leopard throw and the white spats over his highly polished boots.

I thought having a GERMAN Pipe and Drum Band to be interesting. Okay, I thought having a GERMAN Pipe and Drum Band to be downright odd and amusing, but intriguing as well.

Stephen Lock wrote:

Speaking of pipe bands....

During one of my surfings around the Net looking for anything on Iserlohn/Soest/Hemer/etc., I came across a personal site, I think it was anyway, that had several photos of the Iserlohn Pipe Band.

I forget their name, now, but they are a German Pipe and Drum Band...oh!, I remember....Sauerland Pipe and Drum -- there ya go!

They march in a lot of the local Schutezenfests. Quite different from the usual brass and glockenspiel marching bands one usually finds in such parades. I have no idea what their tartan was...I assume it was an "official" tartan. Their Drum Major was very imposing, complete with bearskin, full regalia, even the leopard throw and the white spats over his highly polished boots.

I thought having a GERMAN Pipe and Drum Band to be interesting. Okay, I thought having a GERMAN Pipe and Drum Band to be downright odd and amusing, but intriguing as well.

German for Bagpipes 'Doodlesack' much more descriptive don't you think ?

Not as strange as you might think.

http://www.geocities.com/montiederby/europe.html#germany

Scroll down to Germany

i remember some good saturday nights with the local doodlesacks,sometimes you got a tune out of them sometimes you did,nt,depends on how drunk you were,dave.

Quote :

Saw it on Tv last week -- stayed fine but less and less bands each year (apart fom 'pipe bands' that is ) They even import those from China now

What you see on tele are only edited highlights.This is the full programme for this year.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Programme 2009
Fanfare

Global Co-operation


The Massed Pipes and Drums

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
The Royal Dragoon Guards
The 1st Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
Royal Air Force
Australian Federal Police
Auckland Police
Cape Town Highlanders


The Tongan Royal Corps of Musicians

A 50-strong brass band and exhilarating ethnic group with their South Sea Island magic


Burns 250th Anniversary Tribute

A special Burns homage with singers from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Canada's Calgary Burns Singers


RAF Medical Rescue

The swift treatment and evacuation of casualties in hostile territory


She Huo Cultural Act, Xi'an

The extraordinary talents of the She Huo cultural troupe from Edinburgh's twin city of Xi'an


The Pipes & Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland

The Classical Brit Award winning pipers and drummers with one of Britain's finest military bands


Swiss Army Central Band

In their first Tattoo appearance, the Swiss Army's elite military orchestra


Massed Highland Dancers

A choreographed extract from Burns' Tam O'Shanter featuring the Edinburgh Tattoo Highland Spring Dancers with OzScot Highland Dancers from Australia


Top Secret Drum Corps

One of the world's most sensational percussion groups


RAF Massed Bands

"Born to Fly"
The internationally acclaimed bands of the Royal Air Force featuring the Central Band, the RAF College and RAF Regiment Bands along with the RAF Salon Orchestra


The Massed Military Bands and Massed Pipes and Drums RAF Bands

Joined by:

The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Tongan Royal Corps of Musicians
Swiss Army Central Band

The stirring sounds of the combined bands

Going Home
Amazing Grace


Finale

Coming Through The Rye
Star of Robbie Burns
National Anthem
Auld Lang Syne
Evening Hymn - Abide with Me, Last Post

Lone Piper - A Gratefu' Prayer


March Out

Scotland The Brave
We're No Awa' to Bide Awa'
Highland Laddie
The Black Bear

There is rather a lot of pipe music,but it is Scotland and the Tattoo had a Scottish theme this year.

One of my favourite pieces of bagpipe music is Highland Cathedral,composed by Germans!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Cathedral

Here it is played by The Royal Irish Regiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8FnzSSQGrI

i was lucky to do a K A P E [keep the army in the public eye] tour in the late 60,s with my regiment in ne england,it soon opens your eyes as to how good they actually are when giving concerts and such like.not just for marching behind,dave.

nobby clark wrote:

One of my favourite pieces of bagpipe music is Highland Cathedral,composed by Germans!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Cathedral

Here it is played by The Royal Irish Regiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8FnzSSQGrI

Absolutely, out standingly great. Thank's Nobby......

Jimnopidy wrote:

German for Bagpipes 'Doodlesack' much more descriptive don't you think ?

Seriously? That's hilarious Mind you, I always thought most German words, like many old English words, were very logical/descriptive. However, if I were to create a word to describe what we know to be bagpipes, never having them as part of one's own culture -- and keeping in mind I quite like the pipes (they bring a lump to my throat every time and my heart pounds a bit faster) -- I'm not sure I'd employ "doodle" to describe them. Hmmmm.... perhaps Das Schreechensacken or Das Totenkatzen

dandc wrote:

i remember some good saturday nights with the local doodlesacks,sometimes you got a tune out of them sometimes you did,nt,depends on how drunk you were,dave.

ROFLMAO....aahh, but did they screech and whine when you squeezed their bladder? I suppose it would depend on where one's fingers were, uh?

As this is a site for old German hands,here's my favourite German march,it used to wake me up every friday morning at daft o'clock in Airport Camp Belize when the band and drums of 3 Queens would march through playing it,only they called it Sussex by the Sea,their regimental march as I was told.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_D1mYBBHgM

Well they were wrong ... doesn't sound Like Sussex by the Sea in any shape or form .. Great Ooompha band though

Len (Ciphers)

I always suspected I was being given bum information Len but why would a Sussex regiment play a German march??

Possibly because the old Sussex Regt and the 3rd Queen's Regt amalgamated and they used both marches in their repertoire ...

only a guess mind you ..

Len (Ciphers)