Some changes i saw: 1. we have a new drum sergeant leading the band 2. Now all drum majors are required to salute to the chapel 3. My fav drum major S potts in his first ever military musical spectacular!! 4. Does anyone know why they switched to moving off AFTER the drums rolls and not when the rolls are being played?
I can't say why with regards to your comment no 4. but in the old days if they wanted this to occur the command was always "After the rolls, quick march". I also occasionally heard the command "Rolls ,one ,two" from pipe band drum majors, and they would then step off after the rolls.
Both are correct! The difference is: It is still the Beating Retreat (short 'main name'), Military Musical Spectacular (long name: Name that emphasizes the ever-changing content name!)
This year it is called: (Event name:) BEATING RETREAT (Content description + theme name of the content:) A Military Musical Spectacular - 'Celebration'.
It's got to be an anomaly for the Military Musical Spectacular to step off, two years in a row, to the same march: The Guards' Chapel. Initially, I had to check I wasn't watching a 2023 replay. No complaints here. It's a terrific composition. Others may have better ideas about why it was repeated. My guess is it's likely linked to this year's commemoration of the June 6, 1944 Normandy invasion, a theme of this year's Military Musical Spectacular. The Guards' Chapel bombing, which the march recalls, occurred 12 days later on June 18, 1944 so that both WWII events in which the Guards' regiments lost lives are marking their 80th anniversaries. From a music perspective, it's perhaps worth noting that the director of music and five members of the Band of the Coldstream Guards were among the 121 people killed when the German bomb hit the Guards' Chapel during a Sunday service.
@@forbeswatsonThe Guards' Chapel would be worth a look if you are in the vicinity again. Always been known for its great music too, so you might consider a visit to coincide with a Sunday service or a recital. Listings are on the Household Division site. (These are busy days for the bands so recitals are non-existent now, but they are likely to be back soon.)
