Trooping the Colour 2011 - Massed Bands in The Mall

The massed bands of the Brigade of Guards playing as they march from Horse Guards Parade to Buckingham Palace after Trooping the Colour - The Colonel's Review - in London on 4 June 2011.

The bands are playing Blankenburg's march Abmarsch in die Quartiere - Back to Camp. Blankenburg wrote nearly 1,400 marches, not all of which survive. A small number are very well known, but it's not every day that you get to hear this one. This particular march is catalogued as Blankenburg's Opus 61 and dates from 1908.

I've included the march from the beginning. The bands don't come into view until some way through, but it's worth the wait - and just listen to the skill in that writing and the quality of this playing.

In front of the massed bands are five Drum Majors in State Dress doing the State Walk. Strangely, there is no Drum Major from the Scots Guards on this occasion, even although it is the Colour of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards which has been trooped.

It's a tight fit for the bands even although The Mall is quite wide. Just after 01:30 you can hear the Drum Major nearest the camera shouting out a warning to the Guardsman on his left to stand back, and again just after 01:43 to the Officer. The soldiers lining the route were from the Irish Guards.

It is perhaps worth acknowledging that these musicians and soldiers had been on parade for about two hours - and the musicians have played about 50 different pieces!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Trooping
• Colour
• 2011
• The
• Mall
• Colonel
• Review
• Massed
• Bands
• Brigade
• of
• Guards
• Hermann
• Ludwig
• Blankenburg
• March
• Back
• to
• Camp
• Abmarsch
• in
• die
• Quartiere

[0404alan]

@1912fld To answer your questions.Music chosen by the director of Music of the regiment trooping their colour. In this case Major Robertson Scots Guards. Re Music played, Very aprox 50 pieces including the mounted bands.

[1912fld]

Question: Who picks out the marches for the march to and from the performance? - About how many marches are played from marching to and form the performance?

[1912fld]

What a terrific sound playing a terrific march - nothing like a nice big massed band playing a good march...thanks for posting!

[bumppo45]

To all of you who marched this day, great job. I'm sure you are restricted from commenting by the cadre, which is fine. But you know who you are. Great job!!!

[bumppo45]

great clip!!!!

[tralens]

@palus666 I disagree with your post. I was there on the actual day and I thought this march was one of the highlights of the day. If you want to know this is called "Back To The Camp" by Blakenburg and he didn't write many bad marches!

[bgrobin66]

The continous playing every step of the way is no small feat. Just playing requires a lot of lung power, and then add the full step marching and you have some soldiers in very good physical condition. I never tire of watching them in action and listening to the world class sound. Great video, and much appreciated.

[md0u9186]

@palus666 What rubbish you post! You must be tone deaf man ( or woman)!

[allnippon1051]

irish guards doing public duty in this 2 years.

[tralens]

The sound quality of your recordings is the best I have heard on youtube regarding live performances. I do audio recordings only when I am there and I know how difficult it is not to get distortion particulary when the massed bands are at the top end of the decibel level!.