GCSE and BTEC music pupils spent the day with The Band of the Household Cavalry last week where they took part in rehearsals with the army musicians, watched trainee musicians at Windsor Barracks and watched an inspirational concert, including fanfares by State Trumpeters.
Director of Music, Mr Richard Curran, provides this report:
Mr Jones and I accompanied 10 of our GCSE and BTEC musicians to Norden Farm Arts Centre and Windsor to spend a day with the Band of the Household Cavalry.
This is the band responsible for providing music at all of HM The Queen's ceremonial events, including her very special State Trumpeters.
The pupils spent the morning rehearsing popular arrangements with the army musicians then were treated to an hour-long concert to round off an inspirational morning of music-making.
We were then invited to travel in convoy back to Combermere Barracks in Windsor where they met trainee musicians and got to see, first-hand, the impressive stable of horses used in the ceremonies.
The afternoon ended with us listening to a rousing practice of several fanfares played by State Trumpeters and being given access to some of their ceremonial attire which was surprisingly heavy to wear. The Bandmaster has invited us along with the CCF cadets to attend a changing of the guards at Windsor next term when our musicians can enjoy a special workshop with two of the State Trumpeters in residence in the castle.
