Beyondships Cruise Destinations
  • Cruise Destinations and Ports
  • Beyondships Home Page
  • Cruise Travel News
  • Beyondships Cruise FAQs
  • What's New
  • Cruise Ship Profiles
  • Cruise Articles
  • Cruise Interviews
  • Cruise Links
  • Cruise Home Page
  • Canada New England Cruise Destinations
  • Caribbean Cruise Destinations
  • Cruise Ship Tours
  • Notices
  • Beyondships Art
  • Privacy Policy
  • Althorp
  • Blenheim Palace
  • Broadlands
  • Stratfield Saye
  • Hever Castle
  • Hatfield House
  • The Vyne
  • Osterley Park
  • Chatsworth
  • Highclere Castle
  • Beyond Downton Abby
  • Chiswick House
  • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
  • Kew Palace
Edinburgh Overview
Edinburgh Cruise Ports 
Edinburgh Shore Excursions and Other Links 
Edinburgh Castle
Holyroodhouse Palace
Royal Mile
Royal Yacht Britannia
Edinburgh Tattoo
​
Scotland home page
GOING ASHORE:

EDINBURGH
ROYAL MILITARY TATTOO
by
Richard H. Wagner
page three
Massed Military Bands at the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
New Zealand Army Band, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
The next country to provide performers was New Zealand.  In theory, they were representing Autumn but the connection was lost on me.  Nonetheless, I particularly enjoyed the New Zealand segment.

The New Zealand Army Band entered the parade ground looking much like any other military band.  However, during the course of their performance, they broke into a Maori haka display and then later several of the band members broke rank and engaged in contemporary dancing complete with sunglasses.

The band was joined by the Lochiel Marching Drill Team.  Synchronized marching apparently became a popular sport for young women in the 1930s and the precision and unity of this team was quite graceful.       

New Zealand Army Band, Edinburgh Tattoo
The Massed Pipes and Drums, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
New Zealand Army Band, Edinburgh Tattoo
Locheil Marching Drill Team, Edinburgh Tattoo
Orchestra of the Mongolian Armed Forces, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Mongolian Armed Forces, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Mongolian Armed Forces, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Representing Winter was the Central Orchestra of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces and the Mongolian Military Song and Dance Academic Ensemble.  The connection to the theme appeared to be that Mongolia can be cold like winter.

The artists were attired in traditional costumes going back to the time of the great Mongol leader Genghis Kahn.  While playing traditional Mongolian music, the troupe danced and enacted scenes harking back to the Mongol Empire.  Fascinating.   

Massed Military Bands, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Next came the Massed Military Bands, which included bands from British military formations (The Irish Guards, The Rifles and the Royal Logistics Corps) as well as the New Zealand, Korean and Mongolian military bands that had appeared earlier.

This was the type of performance most people associate with a pageant such as the Tattoo.  The artists played stirring marches as well as some poignant pieces that featured solos by individual musicians.  As the music played, cave-painting images of animals were projected onto the Castle. 

Massed Military Bands, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Massed Military Bands, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Massed Military Bands, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Grand finale, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Grand finale, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
The excitement stirred up by the Massed Military Bands lay the foundation for the Grand Finale.  All of the evenings performers came out onto the parade ground to participate.

Fireworks shot up from the Castle and burst overhead as the musicians played a medley from Gustav Holst's "The Planets."  This was followed by the singing of the hymn "I Vow to the My Country" (music also by Holst).

With emotions at a high pitch, the stadium went silent as the lone piper was spotlighted playing on the battlements.

This was followed by the bands playing "God Save The Queen" and the singing of the traditional Scottish piece "Auld Lang Syne."

With the audience standing, the performers left the Esplanade as the pipers played "Scotland the Brave."

Thus ended an evening of stirring and emotional entertainment.      

Grand finale, Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland
On the next page, we provide some practical information about attending the Edinbugh Tattoo
Click here to continue

For more about cruising to Scotland:


Click here for our Edinburgh overview page
Click here for our Edinburgh cruise ports page
Click here for our shore excursions and other links
Click here for our article on visiting Holyroodhouse
Click here for our photo feature on the Royal Mile
Click here for our article on the Royal Yacht Britannia
Click here for our article on Edinburgh Castle
Click here for our article on visiting Stirling Castle
Cruise destination - Scotland - Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo - page 3
Beyondships.com
​(Cruise ship profiles, pictorials, reviews and interviews).

BeyondshipsArt.com
(Museum profiles, Art reviews, and Original art)
Beyondships LLC
Notices
Privacy Policy
Beyondships Cruise Ship Pictorials and Reviews
(Photos, videos and reviews of cruise ships)
Beyondships Cruise Ship Photo Tours
(Photo tours inside cruise ships)