Scotland’s best-known military band – The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland – is in the middle of its first-ever nationwide tour which is aiming of raising thousands of pounds for Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland.
Scotland’s State Band, as it is also known, embarked on its tour – entitled “Walking with Heroes” – in April and they have already performed to delighted crowds in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kilmarnock and Dunfermline. Next up, the Band will perform in Perth’s Concert Hall before two further concerts in Aberdeen and Inverness.
The Band’s Director of Music, Major James R Marshall CAMUS, said: “For the SCOTS Band, this tour is a massive thing. We have enjoyed going out further afield to a number of different venues as that is something that the Band has not done for a very long time. It has been great music in great venues and all to support the Poppyscotland cause, and we are really looking forward to the concerts in Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness.”
To accompany the centenary tour, a CD – also entitled Walking with Heroes – has been produced, with the aim to commemorate 100 years since the end of The Great War, and to honour those that served our nation so valiantly. Major Marshall added: “To have produced the CD is a great and fitting legacy that we as a Band will be proud to leave in this poignant centenary year.”
The programme includes works by such iconic composers as Holst, Shostakovich, John Williams and Karl Jenkins alongside new compositions and arrangements. These include traditional Scottish fayre and feature a whole host of soloists; in particular the unmistakable skirl of the pipes. Tickets are available by visiting the Poppyscotland website here: www.poppyscotland.org.uk/scotsbandtour/walking-with-heroes-tour/.
As well as the tour itself, the Band is undertaking another fundraising effort in the form of The 1918 Poppy Pledge. Not only is this a lasting tribute to those who fell in the First World War, but, importantly, will also allow the Poppyscotland to make a step change in the scale of support it is able to provide those in the Armed Forces community who rely on the charity’s support today.
Gordon Michie, Head of Fundraising, said: “It is a privilege for Poppyscotland to be in partnership with such a talented group of musicians. The tour is providing a great opportunity for music-lovers across Scotland to experience the unmistakable and memorable sound of Scotland’s State Band. We urge the public to get their hands on tickets for the final three performances as soon as possible as they are already selling out fast!”
The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland is one of the 22 Regular Army bands and is based at Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh. It is a symphonic wind band with the additional capability of a Ceilidh band. The main role of the Band is to support the Army, the State and Ceremonial occasions that occur within Scotland.
The Band also performs all over the world. In recent years, it has travelled to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Canada. Every year, it performs at the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo in front of sell-out crowds at Edinburgh Castle during the capital’s Fringe festival.
The Band, which was formed in 2006, continues to protect and maintain the extraordinary legacy of military music in Scotland. It combines the crucial traditional elements of our forefathers while continually engaging with the youth of Scottish society to maintain interest and support from younger generations.
Notes to editors
- For further information and to arrange an interview, please contact David A. Findlay, PR Manager at Poppyscotland, on 0131 550 1580 or 079797 35611, or email at findlay@poppyscotland.org.uk.
- The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland tour schedule is as follows:
| Location | Venue | Address | Dates |
| Perth | Concert Hall | Mill Street, Perth
PH1 5HZ |
22nd Sept |
| Aberdeen | Beach Ballroom | Beach Promenade, Aberdeen
AB24 5NR |
28th Sept |
| Inverness | Inverness Cathedral | 15 Ardross Street, Inverness
IV3 5NS |
20th Oct |
- For more information on The 1918 Poppy Pledge, please visit: poppyscotland.org.uk/poppypledge.
- Poppyscotland provides life-changing support to the Armed Forces community. Money raised from the Scottish Poppy Appeal and Poppyscotland’s year-round fundraising enables them to deliver support to members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland by providing tailored funding and assistance. The charity also funds services in advice, employment, housing, mental health, mobility and respite. Please note that we are known as “Poppyscotland”, and not “PoppyScotland” or “Poppy Scotland”. For more information, please visit us at: poppyscotland.org.uk.
