The Artist Series Presents The Band of the Irish Guards and Royal Regiment of Scotland

Experience the historic sounds of the United Kingdom as the music comes alive through the pipes, drums and highland dancers of The Band of the Irish Guards and the Royal Regiment of Scotland, in Jacksonville at the Times Union Center's Moran Theater on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:30PM for one night only!

The Irish Guards were formed on April 1, 1900 on the wish of HM Queen Victoria to commemorate the bravery of the many Irish Regiments who had fought in the South African campaigns. The Royal Regiment of Scotland came into being in 1881 with the joining of two distinguishEd Scottish regiments which had been formed during the reign of George III: The 91st Argyllshire Highlanders and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders. There is a fine tradition in the British Army of bands providing musical support to troops on active service, engendering a unique esprit-de-corps that has been used actively during wartime. Come enjoy an evening of pomp and tradition with the sounds of the United Kingdom!

The Irish Guards

The Irish Guards were formed on 1 April 1900 on the expressed wish of HM Queen Victoria to commemorate the bravery of the many Irish Regiments who had fought in the South African campaigns. The Regimental Band was formed at about the same time and consisted initially of 35 musicians and a Warrant Officer, Mr. C H Hassell, who was the Bandmaster. The Band quickly gained a reputation for excellence and in 1905 was invited to make what turned out to be the... more first of many tours of Canada. The people of Toronto were so impressed with the band's performance that they presented the Band with a large and very ornate Silver Cup that remains a cherished possession of the Band today.

There is a fine tradition in the British Army of bands providing musical support to troops on active service. It engenders a unique esprit-de-corps and during both World Wars the Band regularly travelled to active service areas in order to give morale-boosting performances to the troops. During World War II in particular, the commitments of the Band had so intensified that its strength was increased to 65 musicians.

Over the years the Band has toured extensively visiting Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Germany, Hong Kong, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Japan. In 2010, The Band of the Irish Guards will make its debut tour of the United States of America. It was in Japan where the band was accorded the unique honor of being the first band ever to play in the Imperial Palace in the presence of the Empress and the 2 Crown Princesses. The Band has toured Australia twice, once in 1957 for 10 weeks as part of a world tour, and more recently in 2004 for a six-week concert tour of both Australia and New Zealand. The latter consisted of 27 performances, which took in all the major cities and included the Sydney Opera House.

With a current establishment of 49 musicians the band has a variety of professional ensembles that include a Concert Band, Marching Band, Salon Orchestra, Dance Band, Fanfare Trumpeters and several other smaller ensembles. The band's main duty is to play, in turn with the other 4 Foot Guards Bands, for the Mounting of The Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace and for state ceremonial occasions and public duties such as Investitures, State Visits, Royal Weddings, Guards of Honor, Royal Garden Parties and, of course, The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Color).

The Band has made many broadcast and recordings over the years and in the 1950's was chosen to give the UK premier performance of Paul Hindemith's 'Symphony for Concert Band' live 'On Air'. The Band has also appeared on television (most notably for the Queen's 80th Birthday Celebration in Windsor recently), and in films (The 'Ipcress File' starring Michael Caine). Upon retirement from the Service a number of musicians have continued their careers with the National Orchestras, which included the Halle, the BBC Symphony and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

In addition to their musical activities, Musicians are trained to give support to the Army Medical Services in the event of mobilization. Three of the musicians served in the first Gulf War of 1990/1991 and in June 1999 the band was deployed to Kosovo as part of a NATO Peace-keeping force.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders came into being in 1881 with the amalgamation of two distinguishEd Scottish regiments which had been formed during the reign of George III: The 91st Argyllshire Highlanders and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders.

The 91st Highlanders was formed in 1794 when the Duke of Argyll was requested by George III to raise a Regiment of foot soldiers for Foreign Service. The Regiment was embodied at Stirling Castle and sailed almost immediately for South Africa. It was 1802 before the 91st Highlanders returned home and during the century to follow they returned to South Africa three more times. Their colours carry four different scrolls from South Africa, a unique distinction in the British Army.

The next major campaign for the 91st was under Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) in the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. They fought in all the major campaigns and formed part of the rearguard during the retreat to Corunna in 1808. In 1812 they returned to the Peninsula and fought their way back across the Pyrenees into France. They took part in the conquest of France and in the Waterloo campaign. From 1819-91 the Regiment served in Jamaica, St. Helena, South Africa and India. During this period there were two major events particularly affecting the 91st. A large draft of the 91st was travelling on the troopship Birkenhead when it struck a rock off the African Coast. All the women and children were saved by the gallantry of the troops, who remained at their posts until the women and children had got clear of the sinking troopship. By this time there was little hope for the troops on deck, and all but a handful perished.

In 1871 an event of an entirely different nature occurred when HRH the Princess Louise (daughter of Queen Victoria) married the Marquise of Lorne (Heir to the Duke of Argyll). After the event the Regiment became known as Princess Louise's Argyllshire Highlanders.

The 93rd Highlanders was formed in 1799. Britain was once again at war with France and General Wemyss, a nephew of the Earl of Sutherland, was authorised to raise a regiment of foot soldiers. The regiment was raised from tenants of the Earl of Sutherland and from the tiny hamlets and parishes of the Country of Sutherland.

One of the93rd's earliest actions was the Battle of New Orleans in 1814, where they held their ground when many older regiments faltered. It was in the Crimea, however, that the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders first achieved outstanding fame. At the Alma, as part of the Highland Brigade, they fought with great distinction. Then at Balaklava on October 25, 1854. At the same time as the Charge of the Light Brigade was taking place, the Sutherland Highlander stood alone against a mass of Russian Cavalry. Though heavily out numbered the Regiment stoop two deep above the town of Balaklava and repulsed the Russian onslaught. The London Times war correspondent who witnessed the scene described the Regiment as a "Thin Red Streak Tipped with a Line of Steel." From this came the expression the Thin Red Line.
In 1967 the fist Battalion was sent to Aden to cover the period of the handover, and almost overnight achieved world headlines in the recapture of the notorious Crater district. Even on their return to the United Kingdom, press interest continued.

A long fight, included a parliamentary petition, was waged to save the Regiment from Disbandment. The parliamentary petition achieved over a million signatures, some of which came from expatriate Scots all over the world, including many from the United States. The tide of this battle turned and instead of disbanding, the battalion retained a representative company - Balaklava Company. The Company was sent to Gibraltar, where it maintained the high reputation of the Regiment.

In March 2006 the battalion became part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland forming the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and are due to receive new colours in 2010.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders last appeared on a North America tour with the Black Watch in 1989 and the 1st Battalion Queens Regiment in 1993. In January this year the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Pipe Band performed in Washington D.C as part of their "burns" celebrations.

Since 2002 the Battalion has served in Iraq, Bosnia, Belize, Kenya and recently returned from Helmand Province in Afghanistan, where the Pipes and Drums were deployed as part of the Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) platoon, working closely with the U.S. Marine Corps. They are due to return to Helmand Province Afghanistan in 2010.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland are now based in Canterbury Kent.

THE BAND OF THE IRISH GUARDS AND THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF SCOTLAND will be performed at the TIMES UNION CENTER'S MORAN THEATER March 23, 2010 for one performance only. Tickets range in price from $30.50 to $80.50. Discounts are available for groups of 10+, 40+, or 60+ by calling (904) 632-3228.

To order by phone with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover call The Artist Series Box Office at (904) 632-3373 (toll-free outside of Jacksonville 1-888-860-BWAY.)

Tickets are also available online with Instant Seat Selection by visiting the
The Artist Series' website, www.artistseriesjax.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.