A Great British Institution
I wrote the title ‘A Great British Institution’ in part to shock and surprise, but also to tell a truth. The institution I am talking about is the Royal Marines Band. As a lefty, I’ve been naturally suspicious of militarism, pomp and pageantry and all the rest. But checking out the the Royal Marines Band online has helped to shift my thinking, and I think what they do is worth highlighting. I would like to blather on about why, but it’s probably best to let you judge for yourself. I've got three videos to check out. They are: 1) The Massed Bands of H.M. Royal Marines on Birdcage Walk in London on 4 th June 2014. This shows how good they are: a stunning look and sound, helped by a little birdsong on the way (9 mins long) 2) A wonderful street parade in Basel , Switzerland, on 27 th July 2013 - massed crowds, in blazing heat; they put on a terrific show (18 mins long) 3) In the same Basel Tattoo: the day performance in the arena on 25 th July 2013; ...