Scottish 'Royals'

Reviewed by John Ambler

Due to their involvement in covering industrial action as well as supporting military action, 2003 was a very lean year for recordings. The Mountbatten Festival of Music was only just performed and recorded and then, at the very end of the year, has come 'Scottish Royals'. For his first recording Captain John Kelly has elected to keep clear of the concert programme concept and has also refused the safety net of the tried and tested repertoire. He and his team have selected items that are new and refreshing but have retained the typical sounds of the land that they inhabit - something that the other Royal Marines Bands would find difficult to emulate!

A few months ago I was told that this recording would have wind band music in abundance - and so it has, but the selected music will be interesting and tuneful to most and is devoid of the esoteric flavour of some wind band music. Philip Sparke compositions account for almost a third of this recording with his 'Suite from Hymn of the Highlands' opening the programme. 'Ardross Castle' uses 'Highland Cathedral' (without the pipes) as part of the melody whilst the finale, 'Dundonell' is an exciting, fiery piece that returns to the same, haunting, theme. This is a suitable point to say that this recording exudes quality not only in the choice of music but also in the playing and the very high standard of the recording which is, once again, testimony to the use of the RMBS recording team and facility.

The Sparke suite is followed by the Serenade from his 'Sinfonietta No 2', a melodic piece that leads into the very different 'American Faces' an overture that has many themes including the old hymn tune 'Simple Gifts'. Robert Farnon's 'From the Highlands', Michael McDermott's 'Songs of the British Isles' and Percy Grainger's 'Ye Banks and Braes o'Bonnie Doon' all feature Scottish folk tunes, complementing each other very well and balancing the more modern items. One of these is 'Gaelforce' which, in the style of 'Riverdance' and 'Lord of the Dance' makes use of the rich vein of music from Ireland - another part of the territory of this particular band. 'The Rocky Road to Dublin', 'The Minstrel Boy' and 'Toss the Feathers' are the three tunes in this medley. At the MFM 2003 'Corps Rock' featured a ceilidh band version of 'Toss the Feathers' whilst the RAF recorded a version of 'Minstrel Boy' and 'Toss the Feathers' that relied heavily on solo violin, the bodhran and the drum kit. The 'Scottish Royals' version fully utilises the potential of a symphonic wind ensemble combined with high-tension drums for another individual version of these charismatic tunes.

Interspersed between these pieces of music are other items that, as well as giving the recording variety, feature the Big Band ('Sing, Sing, Sing'), a wind band arrangement of an exciting orchestral scherzo ('Masque') and the Buglers with the first recording of a bugle march that gives the cd its name, 'Scottish Royals'. The Buglers are also featured in 'Caledonian Sunset' that has A C Green's 'Sunset' superimposed upon 'My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose'. This was not to my particular liking as I prefer my 'Sunset' played to more nautical or military backgrounds, but I am sure that this goes down particularly well at the end of concerts north of the border. Finally, 'Highland Cathedral', this time complete with bagpipes, makes what will undoubtedly be a very welcome and popular return.
Well done to all concerned with this very good recording that, as well as all of the attributes mentioned earlier, also features an imaginative booklet that works very cleverly as well as quality artwork and presentation. Everything, apart from manufacture, was accomplished from within the Royal Marines Band Service.