1991 Royal Tournament - Massed Bands

Massed Bands at the Royal Tournament, July 1991

[@castle5029]

Bring the Royal Tournament back. I was in RAF and was at this one. Was only an usher showing public to their seats but got to see every show which was a total of about 30 in the 3 weeks it was on. Never got bored of it. One of my best memories of it was seeing Princess Diana with William & Harry when they came to watch one of the shows. Its a shame that it was stopped as it was a show that was enjoyed by all those who watched it & took part in it.

[@waterloo3]

This was the massed bands of the Royal Armored Corps at the 1991 Royal Tournmanet. Everyone who saw this show knew this was the last hurrah for many of these bands. Over 15 bands are to be seen in a kaleidoscope of pageantry and color. Today only two bands remain after the recent Blair cuts. These are the Light Cavalry Band and the Heavy Cavalry Cambrai Band. About 70 musicians compared to what you see here. The Royal Tournmant met its demise a few years later in 1999.

[@trapezemusic]

Excellent video. Thank you . Sorry to learn that the downsizing of the British military has affected so many of these fine bands. We in New York City area lost our 26th US Army Band years ago for the same reason. As for the direction that both our nations are now headed, I can only say that it appears the inmates are running the asylum.

[@JakobderLugner]

the dressing....holy crap...it's practically flawless

[@pentreman]

I agree with the comments that have been posted how can you not feel that goose bump factor when u see the pageantry that this country has and could still produce

[@T4csk]

Cant believe that I am in this and i even spotted myself on the cornet :-)

[@jamesrobtonyadams]

I went to the very last one in 1999. It was very moving but really sad as well.

[@Tocsin-Bang]

I was there too, with my children. One of my highlights every year was the Royal Tournament. First one I went to was when my uncle was a steward when he was doing his army National Service back in 1961, I think.

[@dermottryan]

Pity this can't be brought back, loved watching it on Saturday nights,better than the rot they have on now !!!!

[@andyjam67]

Hi, worked this one too as an RAF usher, it was a great 3 weeks!!! my best memory was the party at the end!!!

[@garybrayne1324]

totally amazing

[@Andyb2379]

I remember seeing this when i was very young, why o why did they ever stop it, as a young lad i was in ooooooorrrrrrrrrrrr Great times!

[@Belbrit]

This was one of my first band jobs - 16th 5th Queens Royal Lancers (17yrs old at the time.) Good to see it again.

[@farodealer]

this brings back memories as i was in 2RTR band and this was my last job before becoming a civvie

[@123sheepdip]

Brings back memories - I was there.

[@chalky339]

i took part in the 1991 tournament 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards racing around the arena in our Scimitars best few weeks of my life!! Its shame that we will not see such a show again!!

[@stephstokoe]

My dad was in the QDG Band he is on here I am so proud of him.

[@guglielmofantini9788]

In reply to B. Riek, the Director of Music was Major (later Lieutenant- Colonel) Roger Tomlinson, of the Blues and Royals. He can be seen, mounted, in the video. There was no Drum- Major, as cavalry regiments do not normally have Drum- Majors; the only exceptions being the RSDG and the QRH, who have pipes and drums and thus a Drum- Major.

[@dreamcars4you]

I am very proud to say I was here! 9th/12the 9th 12th Princial Tuba player ( 4.03 ) I was only a Young Lad and this was ´´MAGIC´´ to me. David Dawkins (MR BEAN)

[@farodealer]

Most of those musicians were deployed to Op Granby and were medics in the Gulf War that started 30 years ago today 17/01/91

[@basscymro]

This misunderstanding has arisen because the RSDG Pipe Band does still exist and usually appears at the Edinburgh Tattoo. It is the regimental band which has gone - the pipes & drums are a separate organisation. The only regiments which still have a reginental band and a pipe band are the Scots Guards, Irish Guards and Brigade of Gurkhas.

[@Guardsfriend]

Nice Video ! 1. Eine kleine Nachtmusik 2. Exsultate, jubilate K165: IV Alleluja 3. Marriage of Figaro : Act 2: Voi, che sapete che cosa e`amor 4. Magic Fluit K620,Act2Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen (Papageno) 5. Marriage of Figaro: Non piu andrai 6. Piano Sonata No. 15 in C K545 1 (Allegro) 7. Piano Sonata No. 11 in A, k331 Alla Turca (Allegretto) 8. Ein musikalischer Spaß F-Dur K 522 4. Presto 9. ?????

[@scampben]

Show this to the England team before Sunday's match. Makes yer proud, mother!

[@MSD88]

It's amazing they can perform without at least 1 Drum Major to give commands. Just look at the execution of the turn on the counter march with no command - perfect simultaneous turn by the front rank - they must be counting paces as well music??? Fantastic!

[@basscymro]

These have now also been amalgamated and we now have only 2 bands in the RAC - The Light Cavalry Band and the Heavy Cavalry & Cambrai Band (HCC Band). Over the course of 10 years, 16 bands in the RAC have been reduced to 2! The QDG Band, for example, was more than 300 years old but this counted for nothing when the planners got to work - a sad reflection on the attitude to tradition in this country!

[@ursie1986]

Props to anyone who can ride a formidable steed and play a trombone simultaneously.

[@Kingtrombone100]

I wish people commenting on here would not use foul language! CHILDREN visit KZbin to see things like this that perhaps their Parents, uncles, aunties, or grand parents took part in. Not being prudish, just practical.

[@chalky339]

i was in the royal Tournament in 1991 driving scimitars good two weeks on the piss lol!!

[@basscymro]

What an impressive sight! All of the regimental bands here have now gone, except the life guards mounted band. I can see, among others, the RSDG, 1QDG, 16/5 QRL, RTR. All have gone! I see that the mounted band has a full size BBb tuba - unheard of now and almost impossible to play on a horse, I warrant?

[@Kentuckyhorse1]

We're only a little country and the world caught up.

[@spruceh0rn]

@Guardsfriend After the musical joke is the last movement of the 4th horn concerto.

[@basscymro]

I wish you were right but, sadly, both the RSDG and QDG bands have gone. In the early 1990s, they were amalgamated, together with the 4/7DG, to form the Dragoon Guards Band. There were then 4 bands in the RAC - Dragoon Guards, Lancers, Dragoons and Tanks (RTR Cambrai Band).

[@Huithapeli]

Great show I have to say. It's sad that many of these bands have been amalgamated or disbanded.

[@falcons1988]

If they want to keep the military in the public eye, for good PR then they need to bring back the Royal Tournament

[@stephstokoe]

@skippinchicken How do you know my dad???? And if you know him you will know me! I absalutly agree with what you said about the army and goverment cuts It was a rreal shame that this wass there last time perfoming as 16 peice regimental band. The music was brilliant. I watched this at hme with my mum and it was one of the most proudest moments of my life...

[@noskcajluap]

They coudn't scrap the Edinburgh tattoo. The Edinburgh Tattoo is run by an independent company who merely employ the people who perform. This was run by the armed forces. don't get me wrong i 100% agree that it should never have gone!!

[@Guardsfriend]

How was the Director of Music ? Bandmaster ? Drum Major ?

[@Guardsfriend]

it was Mozarts " Eine kleine Nachtmusik

[@hoasjhdfiadsf]

lol Mozart would be happy with that! hahahah

[@blacksuit42]

@bullseye2121 The government had absolutely nothing to do with the BMT. It was organised and run by the Soldiers Charity

[@Cyberwwwizard]

Great Britain, United Kingdom or whatever you want to call it, is still great. The people make it great and those in the video are some of those people. Let's not worry whether we're great or not - we just fucking are ok???

[@UnluckyFriedKitten]

I think it was Mozarts Marriage of Figaro, but I'm not certain

[@haggisneill]

Brilliance...on par witht he Edinburgh Militart Tatoo which "New Labour" could not scrap because we would have revolted and kicked them out of Scotland for ever, which looks like happening anyway....... SOAR ALBA

[@NicolasM27]

man! my air cadet squadron has a long way to go to beat this!!!

[@falcons1988]

good idea, marching looks better.

[@andrestierradelfuego]

hopefully we will get the Tournament back. I went every year from the age of 4 till the bed-wetting socialists stopped it!

[@jacobkeppler1984]

There no drum major in the cavalry regiments only the guards regiments have drum majors

[@the3ofus1000]

Royal tank regiments had drum majors.

[@geordieboy287]

@englishman2000 i find this band music very boring it would have been better if the massed pipes and drums of the scottish regiments had also been included.but,obviously that will never happen as the southerners cant abide the scottis,

[@haggisneill]

Brilliance...on par witht he Edinburgh Militart Tatoo which "New Labour" could not scrap because we would have revolted and kicked them out of Scotland for ever, which looks like happening anyway....... SOAR ALBA