THE HISTORY OF THE MOUNTBATTEN FESTIVAL OF MUSIC Pt2

by Marcher

1989 was the final series of Mountbatten Concerts for LtCol Graham Hoskins. It was shared, once again, with the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy, this time under Major G D Buitenhuis, who were placed centrally amongst the massed bands of the Royal Marines. The RNLMC band was featured playing Shostakovich 'Festive Overture' and Bernstein's 'Symphonic Dances from West Side Story'. They also played Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' as a very clever tuba quartet. The Royal Marines responded by converting 'The Two Imps' to 'The Four Imps'. At this time the Steven Spielberg - John Williams film and film music partnership was making an impact and Williams 'Raiders March', 'Imperial March' and 'Olympic March and Fanfare' were combined as a finale piece. John Williams' music was to feature in these concerts, as in many others, for a very long time.

LtCol John Ware's first series of concerts (1990) was quite remarkable for it followed the savage bombing that took place at the Royal Marines School of Music, it was the tenth anniversary of the concept of 'The Mountbatten Festival of Music, and it also celebrated Her Majesty the Queen Mother's 90th Birthday. Lt Richard Waterer conducted the opening sequence, a repeat of the 1980 finale tribute to Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Sir Vivian Dunn was present in the audience on this occasion. The tribute to the Queen Mother consisted of two movements, 'Edinburgh Castle' and 'Dover Castle', from Laurie Johnson's suite 'The Castles of Britain' and Walton's 'Crown Imperial'. A series of new or unusual items filled the middle part of the concert including marches 'Atlantis' (Denny) and 'Leviathan' (Langford) as well as the exciting and evocative 'Pines of the Appian Way' by Respighi. Despite all of this wonderful music the most moving part of the concert occurred when the Band Service paid tribute to its own. Richard Baker, in his final Mountbatten Concert, gave a poignant introduction to two pieces of music especially arranged by Captain David Cole for this purpose. The first was 'The Final Countdown' which, in its original vocal version, described the leaving of earth and asked the question 'Will it ever be the same again?' During the silence that followed eleven men of the Band Service stepped forward to eleven, previously unoccupied music stands. They carried the same instruments that their eleven murdered comrades would have carried. Eleven chimes were rung against an ethereal background sound. The eleven played the opening bars to 'Love Changes Everything' gradually being joined by the Massed Bands. The sound and the power majestically increased to a magnificent finale that was emotively greeted by the, now standing, audience.

1991 saw a return to a 'traditional' style of concert that featured tributes to Kenneth Alford and to the Fleet Air Arm with the finale being an 'Evening Ceremonial'. Desmond Carrington joined Susannah Simons as Richard Baker's replacement.

Through his contacts with 'The President's Own' United States Marine Band, LtCol John Ware was able to initiate and direct a coup. This famous band had never visited Great Britain, indeed had rarely ventured out of the United States due to its Presidential commitments. However in 1992 it, together with the Pipes and Drums of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, joined the Massed Bands of the Royal Marines on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall. Sousa marches were followed by 'The President's Own' playing Bernstein's 'Candide' and Offenbach's 'Genevieve de Brabant' in magnificent style before giving the audience a taste of genuine New Orleans Dixieland music. Their finale piece was the aria from 'King Heinrich's Call' from Wagner's 'Lohengrin'. The Pipes and Drums then took centre-stage, literally, to play 'Desert Storm' with the massed bands before a set of Argyll Broadswords. 'Highland Cathedral' featured the Band and Pipes together. During the second half an arrangement by Captain David Cole called 'Kaleidoscope' threatened to bring the house down. This was followed by a superb musical battle between the British and American bands called 'Anything You Can Do' a skilful arrangement by WO1 McDermott. The finale featured patriotic tunes as well as 'Alba' for Band and Pipes, the suite 'Victory at Sea' and the Regimental marches.

"What to do next year?" was the question that Lt Col John Ware asked of himself after the 1992 concerts. The answer was to go for a mixture of old and new and to concentrate on the musicianship of the Royal Marines Band Service. The opening march sequence in 1993 featured classics from Alford, Dunn and Teike. This was followed by a 'sparkling' Philip Sparke overture that led into works from arrangers Woodfield, Cole and McDermott. The former was responsible for the new 'Fascinating Gershwin' and the older 'Songs of War which featured the Junior Choir from the Royal Marines School of Music as well as his arrangement of 'Rule Britannia'. The second provided an arrangement of Artie Shaw's 'Concerto for clarinet' which allowed WO Bandmaster Martin Dale to show that he deserved his reputation as a jazz virtuoso, whilst the Corps Bandmaster WO McDermott contributed a duet arrangement of Alford's 'The Huntsman' and a massive 'Big Band Jamboree' for the specially picked Royal Marines 'All Stars' Band under the leadership of Captain David Cole - and there was still room for Tchaikovsky's '1812'!
1994 was to be Lt Col Ware's retirement year and he chose to celebrate the forthcoming anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the recently passed anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, this being the theme of the finale that consisted of movements from the suite of the same name. A Woodfield arrangement of Glenn Miller music was played to mark the anniversary of the bandleaders disappearance. Part of the D-Day music was a new composition by Robert Farnon 'The Grand Alliance' dedicated to all members of all Bands of the Royal Marines. A major new drum static featured the Corps of Drums with percussion kit and this was followed by a brand new bugle march written by WO1 Bandmaster McDermott and Bugler Piner, 'Soldier and Sailor Too'. WO1 McDermott became only the second man of that rank to conduct at these concerts when he conducted his own arrangement of 'Liberty Fanfare'. As well as the massed concert band, the Corps of Drums and the Big Band, LtCol Ware chose to accentuate the musical ability of the Band Service by featuring the full Royal Marines Symphony Orchestra playing 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and three songs for which Beverley Humphries was the vocalist. 'The Music of John Williams' was a joint arrangement by Captain Cole and WO1 McDermott.

The current Principal Director of Music, LtCol Richard Waterer, assumed responsibility for this great annual event for the first time in 1995. He was faced with a glut of anniversaries related to Sir Malcolm Sargent, Earl Mountbatten, Dr Gordon Jacob, Kenneth Alford, that could have been celebrated but chose to concentrate on a dignified tribute to those who had been involved in World War II and, as always, the expertise and musicianship of the Band Service.

By 1995 the 'Mountbatten Festival of Music' was being acclaimed as 'the largest musical military festival in the world' and, for the first time it was produced and directed entirely by members of the Band Service. This included lighting, sound and total production and required over a hundred Royal Marine and Royal Naval back-up staff. Colonel John Bourgeois USMC, soon to retire from the position of Commander and Director of 'The President's Own' Band was guest conductor. The concerts had a touch of poignancy since the world famous 'Band of HM Royal Marines School of Music' was due to be disestablished within six weeks.
The 1996 concerts had a few special, magic, moments. As a tribute to the retiring Commandant General, Lieutenant General Sir Robert Ross, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jock Slater, stepped onto the rostrum and conducted the Massed Bands playing 'Preobrajensky'. Magical musical moments included some fine solos and especially the Captain David Cole arrangement of 'Shades of Green' which featured 'Riverdance' complete with Ceilidh band that included three Directors of Music! The massed Corps of Drums provided not only the insistent and ever changing rhythms but also probably the most complex stick drill ever seen.

Not only were the 1996 concerts exclusively produced by the Band Service but every piece of music, apart form Zampa, the Royal Navy march-past and the music selected and conducted by Colonel Bourgeois, was either composed or arranged by past and present members of the Band Service.

Twenty-five years after the concert at the Royal Albert Hall for the Royal Academy of Music the 1997 series took place. One man had appeared at all twenty-five concerts, many as a soloist, and that was Band Colour Sergeant Jon Yates, the epitome of a Royal Marines Musician. Captain Ian McElligott, Director of Music Parachute Regiment reviewed this concert. He made special mention of the cosmopolitan feel of the exciting musical programme and in particular of the Staff Arranger, Warrant Officer McDermott. "His sensational arrangement of nautical airs in 'Seafarers' and a dazzling arrangement of Cole Porters finest ensured that Mr McDermott's name is spoken with the same reverence as Warren Barker, Bill Holcombe and John Cacavas".

1998 brought the final appearance of Captain David Cole. He conducted his new 'Fanfare to the First Sea Lord' (Dedicated to Admiral Sir Jock Slater), his march 'Commando General' (Dedicated to General Sir Jeremy Moore - Commander of the Land Forces during the Falklands War). Next came 'Highland Cathedral' which had been used to great effect during the last voyage of the Royal Yacht Britannia. This was a novel 'first' since it featured the then only Royal Marines Band Service piper. Then a final 'David Cole Spectacular' arrangement to mark the retirement of a man who had featured in twenty-three of the twenty-six years of Royal Albert Hall concerts playing tuba, fanfare trumpet and the famous organ before conducting and arranging. The show also featured a McDermott arrangement called 'Gael' based upon music from the film 'Last of the Mohicans'. This exciting music featured the massed Corps of Drums in period uniform. As well as providing the complete musical, technical and back-up skills for the concerts, including the recording, mastering and distribution through their own recording engineer of the compact disc of the concert, the Band Service, through a dextrous Bugler, could also lay claim to the tailoring as well!

1999 saw a return to concerts with a Royal Navy flavour. Susannah Simons had retired as co-presenter the previous year and her place was taken by broadcaster/reporter Kate Adie. Soloists included Don Lusher, the Professor of Trombone at the Royal Marines School of Music and Captain John Perkins, playing violin in his own arrangement of 'The Ashokan Farewell'. 'The Battle of Trafalgar' with a new narration written and read by co-presenter Desmond Carrington was the centrepiece of the finale but the high point was the selection from the suite 'Festival of the Sea' which was part composed and part arranged by Staff Arranger McDermott for the event of that name that had taken place in Portsmouth. The massed bands, Corps of Drums, fanfare trumpeters, the School of Music choir and a Musician vocalist were all required for this magnificent piece of music that culminated in the Naval Hymn 'Eternal Father'.

Bold, inventive and imaginative were words used by the audience to describe the year 2000 concerts that carried the entertainment value even further forward. The Royal Marines Band Service Production Team took the brave decision to include a dance troupe and traditional Irish dancers - not from within the Band Service! Some of the front row seats in the floor of the Hall were sacrificed to allow an extended stage to be built. Not only did this provide space for the dancers but allowed the Corps of Drums more room for their displays. Singers and soloists also took advantage of this situation. The major item was a twenty minute arrangement 'Music of the Century' complete with narration. This collection of popular melodies and styles of music gave ample opportunity for the bands to illustrate their virtuosity and flexibility as well as affording a second chance to hear 'Riverdance' performed by the massed bands once again. The Corps of Drums were in spectacular form being particularly featured in 'Dances with Wolves', 'The Chosin Few', 'Golden Anniversary' fanfare and, of course, 'Riverdance'. One of the dancers gave an alternative view of the concerts in an article for 'Blue Band'. He said "We rehearsed all afternoon in front of a titanic wall of sound. They stopped for us, went back for us, speeded up for us, slowed down for us, smiled at us, respected us and showed us the power of their discipline and artistry". Of the Corps of Drums he said, "We sat out front and watched the Corps of Drums rehearse. Ordinary guys laughing and joking one minute, formidable examples of control, focus and concentration the next. True discipline. Effortless, humble and full of grace".

The 'Riverdancers'

Like LtCol Ware in 1992 LtCol Waterer had to ask himself, and his Production Team, "Where do we go from here?" The solution was to revert to a traditional style concert format - and it worked. Old and new marches, 'Voice of the Guns' and 'HMS Ocean'; an accomplished and exciting performance from the Corps of Drums; a showcase of Ted Heath sound and music and an emotional performance of 'Hymn to the Fallen' from 'Saving Private Ryan' that relied heavily upon the sound of the Royal Marines School of Music Choir are examples of many fine performances. New Band Service composers and arrangers were featured with BdCpl Martyn Hancock's jaunty 'The Jolly Roger' an especially effective composition.

Having just seen MFM 02 the considered opinion on the street would seem to be "outstanding - the best ever!" But I'll leave the final comment once again to Ian McElligott in his 1977 review which seems just as appropriate in 2002.

"This concert was again testimony to the fine musicianship, consistently displayed and widely acknowledged by musicians from all walks of life. The superb quality of service provided by the Royal Marines Band Service is a refreshing and consistent commodity in these days of streamlining, downsizing and all the rest of the jargon that is used when the grim reaper scythes his way through national treasures. The Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines are without doubt a jewel in the nation's crown".