125th Anniversary Tattoo
UK Gazette July 2009 – Arriving at Braehead Arena on Friday morning, I was struck by the sheer size of the space. – it seemed even bigger than it had when we first viewed it from above. Already, it was a hive of activity, as the crew from Sound & Light Solutions were setting up lights and sound for the show the following evening. The car park at M&Co was large enough to accommodate three bands practising drill simultaneously. Soon, a stream of coaches, minibuses, cars and vans disgorged instruments and bandsmen onto the tarmac. The bass players had flown in from Dublin on Friday, others travelled from near and far, some got lost, and some were delayed – even the drummers from Hong Kong made it. Meanwhile, a few miles away, members of The Girls’ Brigade were running through their routines in the Arena, and the PT and Gymnastics teams were warming up. The handbell team was rehearsing in Greenock, and scores of Anchor Boys and Junior Section Boys were on their way.
After lunch, the bands arrived for the full rehearsal at the arena. All fears that a Pipe Band of 200+ players may be overpowering were dispelled and replaced by a sense of anticipation of the wonderful spectacle that their arrival in the arena would undoubtedly be. The Fanfare team got a spontaneous round of applause from all in the arena at the time, which helped ease the tension! By 7:30pm, the arena was filling up; then the lights went down and the spotlights focused on the Fanfare team standing above the main door. Here we go then … ! Marc Antoine Charpentier’s “Te Deum” sounded clear to start the show, then the Colours of the 1st Glasgow Company were marched on to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” – played by a small fife & drum corps. The Pipes & Drums were a spectacle as row upon row filtered through the main door onto the arena, filling the air with music.
And so the show continued. We had excitement and enthusiasm from Anchor Boys and Junior Section, the traditional sound of the Bugle Band, then the Precision Drill Team – what a spectacular show they put on. More music from the Wind Band preceded a marvellous display of PT & Gymnastics with boys giving a taste of different physical activities regularly found in the Brigade. The handbell team was next up with a departure from marching music, showing something of the wide range of talent within our organisation. The Girls’ Brigade Scotland provided two groups of dancers to brighten the show. The last band onto the floor was the massed Fifes & Drums. At the end of their routine, they were joined by the Wind Band (comprising brass, woodwind, mallets and percussion players) for an arrangement of John Williams’ theme from the film “Jurassic Park”. During this piece, the Pipes & Drums came on for the Massed Bands items – “The bonnie lass o Fyvie”, “La Baum”, “Bab-el-Mandeb”, and “Highland Cathedral”; all arranged for the show by the Tattoo Arranger, Bob Cowan (1st Tulliallan). “Boys of the old Brigade”, “Will your anchor hold” and “Underneath the Banner” were played as a medley for the “Old Boys” to march onto the arena – followed by the rest of the cast to the march “Killaloe”. A parade of Colours to the traditional French march, “La marche des soldats de Robert Bruce”heralded the return of the Colour Party, and a ring of Company and Battalion Colours round the Arena stood for the National Anthem.
What evening such as this would be complete without “Auld lang syne” – sung enthusiastically by the crowd, still on their feet. The Pipes & Drums then struck up and led the march-off to a standing ovation. This was a night to remember for all who attended – a fantastic showcase for the Brigade, and the talents of our young people (and officers).
Lindsay Stein – Principal Director & Conductor
