The annual Mountbatten Festival saw the stage packed with musicians from four massed bands, together with a 14-strong fanfare team to provide a rousing 'National Anthem' that preceded the fanfare 'Heroes Unite' and the march 'Vanguard'.

The Corps of Drums featured in 'The Matrix' and the drum display 'Walcheren'. Band and drums then combined for 'Norwegian Pirates', before Louise Denny's new march 'The Mulberry Harbours' paid tribute to film classics such as 'The Cockleshell Heroes'.

The ensemble was heard to good effect in 'Colas Breugnon', although the cor anglais was rather overpowered, whilst solo items featuring piano, flute and percussion (a humorous duet setting a xylophone against an instrument improvised from plastic piping) led to the a closing medley of 'Take That' songs, with excellent vocal and instrumental solos.

Greatest Show

The second half opened with 'The Greatest Show'; the band joined by a troupe of circus performers, with Musn George Missing providing the powerful vocals. 

Trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval appeared on video to introduce Band Corporal Mark Upton's tribute to the greats of Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Miles Davis and Maynard Ferguson.  Much to everyone’s delight, Arturo then kicked off the final section with Dizzy Gillespie’s 'Night in Tunisia'.

The drumming traditions of the USA Old Guard, with their distinctive deep drums were replicated by the Corps of Drums, accompanied by a couple of fifes in old and new selections, before 'Deal in Memoriam' paid tribute to the eleven servicemen who died in the 1989 bombing.

Trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval appeared on video to introduce Band Corporal Mark Upton's tribute to the greats of Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Miles Davis and Maynard Ferguson.  Much to everyone’s delight, Arturo then kicked off the final section with Dizzy Gillespie’s 'Night in Tunisia'.

Evocative

The finale, 'Overlord - Turn of the Tide', commemorated those involved in the 1944 D-Day landings; from the gliders to the building of Mulberry Harbours - all accompanied by evocative archive footage. A bugler marked the sacrifice of the fallen, together with a moving rendition of Purcell's 'When I am laid in Earth'.

A medley of patriotic songs gave the audience the chance to join the celebrations; 'Danny Boy', 'Flower of Scotland', 'Land of My Fathers' and 'Jerusalem' sung with gusto.

The traditional playing of the Regimental marches was followed by a foot-tapping encore in Celtic style, with half a dozen fiddles, bodhran, tin whistle and soprano sax.

Peter Bale