The Royal Military School of Music is a repository of tradition. A tour around its amazing museum opens evocative doors on a history that is full of pride as well as ultimate sacrifice. 

The musicians that have passed through here are legion; from Kenneth Alford and Arthur Kenney to the latest batch of student bandmasters who will eventually take command of their own ensembles to fly the musical flag for the Corps of Army Music around the world.

Innovative link

The concert was the culmination of an innovative link that saw Tredegar Band and MD Ian Porthouse work with musicians and conductors on the Friday and Saturday in a series of masterclasses and rehearsals, before joining forces for an enjoyable outdoor concert on the famous ‘Rock’ stage in the well manicured grounds of Kneller Hall.

Chief amongst them were the trio of featured soloists - all on excellent form: Ailsa Russell flying through the ‘Finale’ from the Mendelssohn ‘Violin Concerto’, Christian Dullea warming the cockles with his feature in ‘Hymn of the Highlands’ and Dewi Griffiths ratcheting up the temperature gauge with a red hot ‘A Mis Abuelos’.

There was a dual purpose to the proceedings: The massed bands conducted by the bandmasters (Sgt Brown; Sgt Nixon; Sgt Rundle-Wood; Sgt McGowan) on various compositions - from ‘Le Corsair’ and ‘Hymn of the Highlands’ to ‘Disney Fantasy’, ‘A Moorside Suite’, ‘Enter the Galaxies’ and ‘Cross of Honour’ as part of their ongoing professional development assessments, as well as the regular outreach work the Corps undertakes at these well attended annual concerts to showcase their talents to the local community and possible career opportunities to youngsters aspiring to make music a part of their adult lives. 

Cracking aperitif

As a result a band from Haverhill Music Services provided a cracking aperitif with their contribution under the direction of Lisa Brill, before the massed bands provided the picnickers (with many a welcome cool bottle of bubbly on hand), families and Army top brass with plenty of inclusive musical entertainment - with substance as well as style mixed to fine effect.

Chief amongst them were the trio of featured soloists - all on excellent form: Ailsa Russell flying through the ‘Finale’ from the Mendelssohn ‘Violin Concerto’, Christian Dullea warming the cockles with his feature in ‘Hymn of the Highlands’ and Dewi Griffiths ratcheting up the temperature gauge with a red hot ‘A Mis Abuelos’. 

‘The Pines of Rome’ - complete with fireworks and the Corps march ‘The Music Makers’ rounded off an excellent weekend of cross genre musicianship in fine style.

Iwan Fox