THE COVENANTER
Foxhunter Chase by riding one round of the for special events, our total playing time for
Aintree Grand National Course. The most two daily concerts was five hours. Like the
frequent remark I heard said about him was: sailor who has a girl in every port, we had
“Henry knows his kit”, predicting correctly girls at every bandstand, wishing to discover
that he would become a general. I recall in if we matched our romantic music. We were
about 1960 looking up from my book on the carrying on the tradition, before recordings
Underground and seeing H.T’s face looking and radio, of bands taking the oldest and
at me beneath a general’s cap from the front newest music to the public. Almost every
page of a newspaper with the word Congo programme someone asked us to play
in the headlines. My instant reaction was, the 1954 hit tune, ‘The Happy Wanderer.’
‘What has he done?’ Everybody was in a holiday mood so we met
friendliness everywhere including meeting
To the band H.T. was both a Mr Nice and ex-Cameronians, Added to our feeling of
a Mr Nasty. After mess nights he spoke to well-being was the fact we were being paid
us in a friendly way, praised our sporting for civilian engagements and would receive
achievements and on one occasion led a a supplement to our army pay at the end of
duty company into our barrack room to the season.
show them how ideal kit inspection should
be laid. In April 1954, we played at a passing In Scarborough, we performed our
out parade at Churchill Barracks, Ayr when afternoon concerts on a floating bandstand
H.T. was the inspecting officer. Later in June, in Peasholm Park which required us being
when we were under canvas rehearsing for rowed across the lake. Some afternoons
the Leeds Tattoo at Roundhay Park, we were there were crowds of football ground size
told by the B/Sgt that H.T. had decided that to see the naval battle between the British
our turnout at Ayr was not good enough. and Gennan fleets performed by realistically
As our turnout was always of the hghest looking miniature warships with smoking
standard, we were both surprised and hurt funnels. While the noise of the battle was
by this statement. going on, rathg lke a naval 18 12 Overture,
we played the appropriate nautical music,
Both the B/Sgt and the BM inspected us ending with ‘Rule Britannia’ to note the
many time and on the Friday of that week British victory.
we finished on a high note, for we were
invited to appear live with the pipe band The lake was shallow so there was no danger
by BBC Children’s TV to play our polished to our plan to topple B/Sgt Stormy Gale
performance of ‘Scotland the Brave’ in which into it I noticed that the final overloaded
we alternately slow marched and quick boat was approaching the bandstand with
marched through one another’s ranks. Stormy Gale on board; I could see that in
. the rush to get on the bandstand it would be
Meeting other Massed bands gave us the easy to push Stormy into the water. Stormy,
opportunity to meet again some of the no fool, jumped off first and destabilised the
bandsmen we had trained with at Kneller boat, resulting in the rest of them falling in
Hall. We were glad that the Leeds Tattoo the water. Dave Davis describes the scene as
was unsuitable for the usual playing of the follows: ‘George Burrows, in Highland dress,
1812 Overture with fireworks. It ended with fell backwards into the water, becoming
a spirited performance of the Hallelujah completely submerged only to find on
Chorus in recognition that the Messiah was resurfacing that the others were in the water
sung regularly in that part of England. also. Lofty Hammond stood waist deep,
draining the water out of the boat to stop it
After the Leeds Tattoo we continued our from sinking. As Mr Pike, the BM, was rowed
long summer tour of eleven weeks, taking across in splendid isolation, the large crowd
us to Glasgow, Scarborough, Bognor Regis, laughed and applauded. To complete the
Tunbridge Wells, Bournemouth, London amusement he told us to play the barcarole
and Edinburgh. We rehearsed enough music from the Tales of Hoffman.
to cover fourteen programmes to ensure that
each performance was different. Having a When we reached the Embankment Gardens
kilted Highland Dancing Group within the in London we had the feared ‘Dance of the
band, a choir and Piper Donald Porteous to Tumblers’ on the programme. We clarinets
play solo pieces, allowed us to play less than thought we may not get through it and, in
other bands.Although we played sometimes particular, were afraid of the beginning.
79
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