Players from Chiltern Hills Brass and Egham Band recently joined forces to take part in the Queen's 90th Birthday 'Patron's Lunch' celebrations that took place on The Mall in London.

Out of the blue

Lindsey Davies, secretary of Chiltern Hills told 4BR: "The invite to take part in the unique event came completely out of the blue from the Musical Director Lt Col Graham Jones MBE.

We naturally jumped at the opportunity, and as the request was for a massed band, we teamed up with our friends at Egham. We were told there would be two parades — one in the morning and the second one in the afternoon which would be in front of the Royal Family and be broadcast live around the world on the BBC."

1970s music

Because the section of the parade the band was taking part in was devoted to the 1970's, they played 'Star Wars', 'Largo' from the 'New World Symphony', and television theme 'Eye Level' — all played continuously from Horse Guards Parade, along The Mall, past the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace, around the outskirts of St James's Park along Birdcage Walk and back down to Horse Guards Parade once more!

Lindsey added "The security and accreditation requirements were really tight but we managed to fit in a joint rehearsal before the big day, where our playing and marching capabilities were scrutinised by Lt Col Jones and the Royal Academy of Dance Artistic Director Lynn Wallis OBE."

the most amazing event in both band's history went fantastically well and has left us with many new friends and wonderful memories that we'll treasure foreverLindsey Davies, secretary of Chiltern Hills

Memories to treasure

The musical direction was then handed over to Chiltern Hills Brass MD Gordon Davies, who had worked with Lt Col Jones a few years ago, as Lindsey added.

"We arrived in London at 8.00am and were given a number of briefings before the Queen's eldest grandson Peter Phillips addressed the 1500 or so participants which stretched the full width of Horse Guards Parade.

The first parade was in pouring rain and we were all drenched at the end of the 1.3km route. Our pace had to be quite slow as we were following a Gospel Choir, a pantomime horse and some animals riding bikes!

It was exhausting work but a couple of hours later the sun came out, and in front of 10,000 guests lining both sides of The Mall, plus the Royal Family in front of Buckingham Palace, the most amazing event in both band's history went fantastically well and has left us with many new friends and wonderful memories that we'll treasure forever."