British Army musicians deliver command performance in city.Byline: Richard Duckett COLUMN: MUSIC REVIEW There was plenty of professional polish and pageantry on parade at Mechanics Hall Mechanics Hall (and variants Mechanic's Hall and Mechanics' Hall) may refer to:
They actually do quite a lot. The repertoire of these British Army The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with unification of the governments and armed forces of England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. musicians, fully on display Tuesday in a concert presented by Music Worcester Inc., can include fittingly regal and regimental-sounding music from the band, sensitively arranged and played Scottish airs, and bagpipes bagpipes Noun, pl a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bag bagpipes npl → gaita sg bagpipes in all their alternating force and poignancy. This was a visually polished exercise as well. Band members were dressed in scarlet and black The Scarlet and Black, usually known as the S&B, is the official college newspaper at Grinnell College. It bills itself as the first college newspaper west of the Mississippi River. uniforms and bearskin hats. The pipers of the Dragoon Guards Dragoon guards was, in some armies, particularly the British Army, the designation used to refer to heavy cavalry regiments from the 18th century onwards. Dragoon guards usually wore cuirasses and helmets and carried heavy sabres, and were similar to cuirassiers in other armies. wore black tunics and tartan kilts. The brass instruments were gleaming gold, as were the buttons on all the uniforms. The Mechanics Hall stage did not allow for a lot of marching, but such formations and zig-zags as were possible were cleverly choreographed and flawlessly carried out. What, one wondered looking at this unique (and dare one say quaint) scene, was George Washington thinking as he stared down on the proceedings from his portrait hung high at the end of the stage of the Great Hall? Red Coats? The British are coming ... back? He didn't seem to disapprove, even though that white horse still had his famous rear end turned back. Not so for an enthusiastic more or less full house of 1,200 people who gave the performers a roaring standing ovation at the end of the evening. Mechanics Hall is a rather intimate setting for a performance with a marching band Noun 1. marching band - a band that marches (as in a parade) and plays music at the same time band - instrumentalists not including string players , drummers and pipers, but although people were up close and personal there was no feeling of being negatively overwhelmed or drowned out Drowned Out is a 2002 documentary by Franny Armstrong about the controversial Sardar Sarovar Project. It closely follows a family that is unwilling to leave its village home as the water levels of the Narmada River, mostly because the government provides them no viable by the music. The evening began, as might have been expected, with plenty of ceremony - an opening muster bringing the band and pipes and drums on to the stage, an honor guard (listed as the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit from South High Community School), and the playing of the British and United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. national anthems. A narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. - albeit a recorded voice - was a very useful complement to the performance, providing historical background concerning the regiments and the music being played. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards took center stage first for an extended sequence once the concert-proper was under way. This is Scotland's senior regiment, although they are now stationed in Germany and serve as tank soldiers when not giving public performances. But there was nothing amateur or mechanical about this outfit. They were stunning. A tribute to the "Emerald Isle," for example, was played stirringly and beautifully as pieces as "Dawning of the Day," "Snuggling the Blanket," and "Boys of Ballymore" rolled and reverberated around the hall. Next up, the Coldstream Guards offered a musical history of their heritage, which dates back to the mid-17th century and now sees them having the responsibility for the music of all the official events in London, including Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace. A small ensemble dressed in 18th-century uniforms played some fanfares, and the sequence evolved into the 21st-century with arrangements written by music director Graham Jones. At full tilt the band can sound as rich and dynamic as a symphonic orchestra, and you could imagine some of the music as a cinematic score for a vast epic movie. Song was a surprise of part of the concert as the Coldstream Guards Lance Corporal James Scott gave his serviceable voice to selections such as "Danny Boy" and "Land of Hope and Glory" (the tune is better known here as Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance ... let's hope George Washington wasn't listening too closely to the lyrics). The highlight of the night was undoubtedly a set titled "Tribute to America" that culminated with the band playing the signature musical piece of each branch of the U.S. armed services The Constitution authorizes Congress to raise, support, and regulate armed services for the national defense. The President of the United States is commander in chief of all the branches of the services and has ultimate control over most military matters. . As each was performed - again, perfectly and rousingly - veterans in the audience could be seen standing up during the duration. It was hard not to be moved. Washington was probably beaming inwardly. Of course, the horse didn't move, but this would have been a different review and story if it had. |
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