Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2014 Edinburgh Military Tattoo

DRUMMING AND APPLAUSE

The approaching Red Arrows, celebrating their 50th year,

means that we are ready to go.

Welcome to the 2014 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Across the castle drawbridge come 250 of the world's finest pipers

and drummers, in a glorious array of colours, a kaleidoscope of tartans.

Major Steven Small, Director of Army Bagpipe Music,

has put together a set of tunes marking the beginning of a journey.

The first stop on the way, Loch Lomond.

The march, Within' a Mile o' Edinburgh Toon,

leads to The Gallowa' Hills.

The slow air, The Mingulay Boat Song.

The hornpipe Over the Isles takes us to the Black Watch Polka.

Circles begin to form to another hornpipe - The Wise Maid.

Four tunes from the pen of Major Steven Small himself.

First the slow air, Langton Gate.

Jig time, with Pass the Port.

The Jigger.

The dancers and fiddlers join and we swing into The Chase.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The ceilidh is over,

and the Massed Pipes and Drums, with the dancers and fiddlers,

take their leave with a song of farewell -

Will Ye No Come Back Again?

Pipe Major Peter MacGregor - The Highlanders.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And now, from much further south,

The Band of the Armed Forces of Malta enter with Holyrood,

a march composed in Edinburgh over 100 years ago

merely a royal mile away from the Castle.

During the Second World War,

the Axis powers tried to bomb and starve the people of Malta

and the allied forces based on the island into submission.

They failed and in 1942,

in recognition of this extraordinary heroism,

Malta was awarded the George Cross.

The tune - Halel (Big Waves).

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Carrying their Maltese Cross of ribbon,

the dancers lead the band off to the march, The Bluebells of Scotland.

The Fanfare Trumpeters of Her Majesty's Royal Marines

pay tribute to Malta's heroism during the Second World War.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Now for one of the most exciting acts seen on the Castle Esplanade

for some time.

From South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal,

marvel at the raw energy of iNgobamakhosi Zulu Dance Troupe

with a ritual traditionally performed on the eve of battle.

What they describe as their 'Come Die' Dance.

DRUMMING AND CHANTING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHANTING CONTINUES

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The iNgobamakhosi Zulu Dance Troupe.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Now from Shetland, Hjaltibonhoga.

It means Shetland, my spiritual home,

with a musician from every inhabited island.

The tune - Love of the Isles.

Swinging round to The Headlands now.

Watch out for the cross-bowing where they play each other's strings.

Like the tango, it takes two to fiddle.

And finally Hurlocks Reel.

The Shetland Fiddlers, Hjaltibonhoga, take a "bow",

take a bow.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Next stop, Nagaland and a taste of their annual Hornbill Festival.

Nagaland is in the North Eastern corner of India

and is made up of 16 tribes,

each with their own language, costume and dance.

The aim of the Hornbill Festival is to preserve and protect the rich

cultural variety of Nagaland and display its history and traditions.

THEY SING IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

After a few untraditional yet steep steps, the lead warrior

presents a ceremonial Naga spear to the Salute-taker.

Good luck getting that through security, sir(!)

APPLAUSE

The Nagaland Folkloric Group.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Continuing the international theme, the reigning

World Champion Highland Dancer from New Zealand is Morgan Bamford.

The music is The Gael.

Beautifully choreographed by Aileen Robertson,

in her first year as Tattoo Dance Director,

this is a truly international group with dancers from South Africa,

Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Scotland.

The outstanding Tattoo Highland Dancers.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Overseas once more, and from the Lion City,

The Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, Music & Drama Company

and Military Police Command Silent Precision Drill Squad.

Not the catchiest title,

but be prepared for an outstanding display

and the highest mace throw ever the seen on the Castle Esplanade.

And it's not that one.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# Oh, the summertime is coming

# And the trees are sweetly blooming

# And the wild mountain thyme

# All around the blooming heather

# Will you go, lassie, go? #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC RESUMES

Yeah, that was it.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

From Singapore, an explosive performance.

Now from New Zealand,

the wonderful sounds of Te Matatini fill the Edinburgh night

with a celebration of the cultural dance of the Maori people.

The performance begins with the haka powhiri,

a ritual encounter of welcome.

THEY SHOUT AND CHANT

BAGPIPES PLAY "Scotland The Brave"

The tone changes when two sailors approach.

This performance represents a meeting of cultures -

that of the indigenous Maori

and the cultures of the European settlers,

represented here by the New Zealand Highland Dancers.

MAORIS CHANT

APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MAORI WOMAN CHANTS

After the initial suspicion, all are able to dance to the same beat.

THEY CHANT, MUSIC STARTS

THEY SING IN MAORI

THEY CHANT

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Te Matatini and the New Zealand Highland Dancers.

STEEL ORCHESTRA PLAYS

The strains of the Banana Boat Song

mean a very welcome return to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

for the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra.

AUDIENCE CLAPS IN TIME

Brown Girl In The Ring.

Matilda.

The dancers are all traditional characters from Spring Carnival.

Mary Ann.

On stilts - Mocko Jumbie -

and The Rivers Of Babylon.

T and T - the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Founded in 1664

as the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot,

the Royal Marines celebrate their 350th anniversary this year.

Originally soldiers who fought on board ships,

they have developed into one of the world's toughest commando units.

Winston Churchill, who had fought in the Boer War,

borrowed the Afrikaans word "kommando"

for a new type of military unit, self-reliant and highly mobile.

True to their motto, "Per Mare, Per Terram" -

by land and by sea -

the Royal Marines are an elite force

trained for worldwide rapid response,

able to deal with a wide spectrum of threats

and security challenges on land and on sea.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Of the six bands in the Royal Marines Band Service,

three are on the Esplanade -

one from Portsmouth, one from Plymouth

and one based in Scotland, at Rosyth, just over the Forth.

This bugle march says it all - Soldier An' Sailor Too.

They move effortlessly into the military slow march

with the Skye Boat Song.

APPLAUSE

Hard to beat.

LOUD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

ORDERS ARE SHOUTED

The Senior Drum Major, Colour Sergeant Bugler Steve Blair,

gives the command.

This time the tune is Commando Spirit.

The Massed Band of the Royal Marines

are joined by the Band of the Armed Forces of Malta,

the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland

and the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band.

Colonel Nick Grace, OBE,

the 2014 Tattoo Principal Director of Music,

takes to the podium.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The massed military bands continue with Mark Knopfler's theme

from Local Hero, Going Home.

PIPE BANDS JOIN MELODY

Musician Matthew Gregory of the Royal Marines Band, Plymouth.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The All Night Hooley In Glebe Street brings back the cast over 1,000,

the Tattoo Highland Dancers and the New Zealand Highland Dancers,

the dancers from Malta and Singapore...

..KwaZulu-Natal, and the iNgobamakhosi dancers,

from the northeast of India, the Nagaland Folkloric Group,

the Te Matatini Maori dancers...

..and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra,

and last, but by no means least, Mocko Jumbie.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Together, they will celebrate a century of song.

On vocals, the Erskine Stewart's Melville School Choir.

# Come on and hear, come on and hear Alexander's ragtime band

# Come on and hear, come on and hear

# It's the best band in the land

# And if you want to hear that Swannee River played in ragtime

# Come on and hear, come on and hear

# Alexander's ragtime band... #

AUDIENCE CLAPS IN TIME

# In olden days a glimpse of stocking

# Was looked on as something shocking

# Now heaven knows

# Anything goes... #

# One, two, three o'clock Four o'clock rock

# Five, six, seven o'clock Eight o'clock rock

# Nine, ten, eleven o'clock Twelve o'clock rock

# We're going to rock around the clock tonight

# Put your glad rags on and join me, hon

# We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one

# We're going to rock around the clock tonight

# We're going to rock, rock, rock till broad daylight

# We're going to rock, rock, rock around the clock tonight... #

# Can't buy me love

# Can't buy me love

# Can't buy me

# Money can't buy me

# Love... #

# Sha-la-la-lala-lala-la

# Sha-la-la-lala-lala-la

# Sha-la-la-lala-lala-la

# And Marie who waits for me... #

CHEERING

# Let me entertain you

# Come on and let me

# Entertain you... #

# Hey, hey baby

# Oh, ah

# I wanna know

# If you'll be my girl... #

# Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof

# Clap along if you feel like

# Happiness is the truth

# Clap along if you know what happiness is to you

# Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do

# Cos I'm happy! #

A happy soloist - Musician Ellie Lomas, Royal Marines.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The lights fade now

and the Tattoo's Principal Director of Music,

Colonel Nick Grace OBE,

leads the ensemble with the tune Invincible,

as the cast rest their dancing feet

and feast their eyes on the Tattoo fireworks.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

To a reprise of Going Home,

the Guard of Honour, found by the Royal Navy, the Senior Service.

Marching on four legs

is the Mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland,

Lance Corporal Cruachan IV,

and Pony Major, Corporal Mark Wilkinson, keeping up on two.

And also on parade are the Chelsea Pensioners

from the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Royal Navy Guard of Honour,

general salute,

present arms!

The National Anthem.

# God save our gracious Queen

# Long live our noble Queen

# God save the Queen

# Send her victorious

# Happy and glorious

# Long to reign over us

# God save the Queen. #

Slope arms!

APPLAUSE

And now that international anthem of friendship

that Robert Burns gave to the world, Auld Lang Syne.

# Should auld acquaintance be forgot

# And never brought to mind?

# Should auld acquaintance be forgot

# And auld lang syne

# For auld lang syne, my dear

# For auld lang syne

# We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet

# For auld lang syne

# And there's a hand, my trusty fiere

# And gie's a hand o' thine

# We'll tak a right guid-willie waught

# For auld lang syne

# For auld lang syne, my dear

# For auld lang syne

# We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet

# For auld lang syne... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The lowering of the flags, lights out.

Eternal Father, Strong To Save - The Navy Hymn.

# Eternal Father, strong to save

# Whose arm hath bound the restless wave

# Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep

# Its own appointed limits keep

# O hear us when we cry to thee

# For those in peril on the sea... #

BUGLERS PLAY "Sunset"

# ..For those in peril on the sea... #

High on the Castle Ramparts,

on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War,

the lone piper plays The Battle's O'er.

"Sleep in peace, my soldier laddie

"Sleep in peace now the battle's o'er."

BAND STRIKES UP

The unmistakable sound of Scotland The Brave

means we are approaching the end of yet another memorable Tattoo.

Farewell to the Royal Navy Guard of Honour, the Chelsea Pensioners...

..the singers and dancers of Nagaland...

the Highland dancers,

the Steel Orchestra,

the iNgobamakhosi Zulu Dance Troupe,

Hjaltibonhoga,

Te Matatini Maori dancers.

BANDS STRIKE UP

We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa',

led by the 2014 Tattoo Principal Director of Music,

Colonel Nick Grace, it's time for the massed military bands

and Erskine Stewart's Melville School Choir

to leave the Castle Esplanade.

This year's event, in partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland,

is the 16th consecutive sold-out season,

a record which innovative Tattoo Producer,

Brigadier David Allfrey, is justifiably proud of.

His eyes are already focused on next year and beyond.

The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines

take their final curtain call with their regimental quick march -

A Life On The Ocean Wave.

AUDIENCE CLAPS IN TIME

350 years and still going strong!

Drum Major Michael Hay leads the massed pipes and drums

as they march towards the cobbles of Castlehill

to the tune that has taken generations of pipes and drums

back to barracks - The Black Bear.

And from Edinburgh Castle, this is Bill Paterson wishing you,

wherever in the world you've been watching,

good fortune and good health until we meet again.

BAND PLAYS "Scotland The Brave"

LOUD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE