Welsh Guards and Argylls on Tour
Roger Kennedy | 03/25/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These recordings were orgiinally released on two seperate records under the Monitor label. The first is the band of the Welsh Guards and the pipes and drums of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on their 1974 USA tour. The second was a recording also from the same year of the band of the Welsh Guards and the Moriston Welsh Choir. They have been combined here on one CD. The Welsh Guards are one of the five regiments of foot guards in the household division of the British Army. The band of the Welsh Guards were paired with the Argylls to produce an exciting show of pageantry and stirring music. Some of the highlights of that tour are provided here, and have been expanded upon with the additional recordings including the Moriston Choir. The Welsh Guards produce a very mellow and pleasant sound, and under their director of music, Desmund Walker, they were one of the top bands in the British Army in 1974. The versatility of the band is amply shown in many of the selections included. Of interest are the two versions of Amazing Grace, one for combined band and pipes, the other just a band version. Amazing Grace was a new tune for bands then, it having just shot up to the top of the charts in 1972 when the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards sold over 6 million copies of it. The Argylls present only two brief tunes, but they are of interest. "Entry Into a Crater" recalls when the Argylls secured the troublesom Crater district in 1967 when the British Army was pulling out of the Aden region. The Argylls managed to secure the area without any loss of life and made the headlines at that time. The second tune "Lt Col. Colin Mitchel" was the name of the colonel cammanding the Argylls when the battalion re-entered the Creater district. The terriorists tried to make him their number one taget, but Colin Mitchel coolly went about his business securing the region and did so brilliantly with no loss of life anywhere. Some of the pagenatry of the tour can also be heard in the combined "Scotland The Brave/Black Bear Medley" which is one of the better examples of these two tunes you can hear. The Welsh Guards "American Salute", one of the arrangements made espcially for the 1974 tour is a wonderful selection of old American tunes. All in all, this is a fine CD, and nice that it has been re-issued and not lost to posterity as so many good old martial recordings have. There's a lot of good music here, popular, patriotic, Scots, and good martial stuff as well. Recommended. Enjoy."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1