Page 87 - Mercian Eagle 2014

service is always attended by members
of the Mercian family and local dignitaries, who join together on the top of the hill
in Derbyshire to remember and reflect.
The Band played during the service, after entertaining the crowds with a selection of music for all tastes. A fitting initiation for the Bandmaster into his new Regiment!
As mentioned earlier, the Band has just completed annual camp at Cosford. Now, annual camp for the Band does have a slightly different emphasis to the rest of the Regiment. This is their opportunity
to undertake intensive musical training
to prepare for high profile engagements, whilst getting out and about in the locality supporting local events.
This year, the Band joined forces with the Band of the Royal Anglian Regiment and the Royal Signals (Northern) Band, in order to combine and create larger bands for specific events. We kicked off on Day One of camp with a WW1 Commemoration
Concert in the grounds of Shrewsbury Castle, then massed bands of over 60 players performed a Beating Retreat at Kineton Station in Warwickshire, which was no mean feat with only one day to rehearse as well as preparing for a selection of events to commemorate the start of World War 1. These included supporting the Royal British Legion on their event at Shard End in Birmingham, and a rather unusual event in Rugby.
At Rugby, members of the public were invited to experience what it was like to sign up as a recruit in WW1, undergoing
a medical and being presented with items such as a ration book and a King George V Bible, before following in the footsteps of their predecessors and marching behind the Band through the town. The Band was joined by their colleagues from the Signals for the parade, drumhead service and concert on the Bandstand for this event, which was a great success.
Back at Cosford, rehearsals continued for the Shrewsbury Flower Show, where they took to the Bandstand to entertain
the crowds. The full timetable of four concerts, a parade through the town and a Massed Bands firework finale to round off each evening of the show has been a very memorable way to end their extremely busy time at annual camp.
The life of a musician in the Army Reserves is a never-ending cycle of excitement, thrills and unusual challenges. It’s panning out to be a busy summer for the Band of the Mercian Regiment, and with seven newbies going through the recruiting process, the future looks good (we’re always on the lookout for more, though!). Follow our Facebook page to find out more about us, what we’re up to, and how to get in touch – and don’t forget to come and have a chat if you happen to see us out and about!
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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