2017 The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

DRUMMING

The 2017 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Fanfare To The Oceans

greets their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay,

and Prince William, Earl of Strathearn.

First, the important business of a dram,

and the lone piper's toast.

Ceud mile failte dhuibh uile

gu Baile Dhun Eideann agus chun a' Chaisteil.

Moran laithean sona dhuibh is sith.

Slainte don Bhanrigh. Slainte dhuibh uile.

The toast - welcome to the city of Edinburgh and to the castle,

and health to you all.

GUNS FIRE

Pipes and drums, centre, quick march!

The Massed Pipes And Drums.

The 2017 Tattoo sets out to splash the tartan,

and the splash becomes a mighty wave

as the pipes and drums march across the drawbridge

to When The Pipers Play.

Now framed by the statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace,

those legendary heroes of Scottish independence,

the march is, of course, Scots Wha Hae.

In his first tattoo

as Director of Army Bagpipe Music And Highland Drumming,

Major Gordon Rowan has compiled a set of tunes

that will recall the 1745 Jacobite uprising.

The Band Of The Royal Regiment of Scotland joins

for the reel, Mrs MacLeod Of Raasay.

The Massed Pipes And Drums.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The call of the tutari marks the arrival of The Indian Navy Band.

2017 commemorates 70 years of Indian independence,

and The Indian Navy Band are joined by dancers

from the New Dehli-based Teamwork Arts and the Tattoo Dance Company.

They fill the esplanade with a vibrant display

of colour and movement.

Bollywood comes to Holyrood -

The Indian Navy Band, Teamwork Arts and The Tattoo Dance Company.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Remembering the Auld Alliance,

the ancient bond of friendship between Scotland and France,

this is the Fanfare Band of the Ninth French Marine Infantry Brigade

with the musical alliance of bagpipes and bombards.

The bandsmen in white are the Chasseurs Alpins,

the Alpine Hunters.

The transition into the Daft Punk medley

is eased by the addition of signature helmets

and a virtual mirror ball.

The Fanfare Band of the Ninth French Marine Infantry Brigade Marine.

Merci beaucoup, mesdames et messieurs.

The Shetland Fiddlers, Hjaltibonhoga,

bring the spirit of Up Helly Aa to Edinburgh.

Shetland's midwinter fire festival of Up Helly Aa

has the ritual burning of a Viking longship as its climax.

This longship, the Mirrie Dancer,

takes its name from aurora borealis, the northern lights.

Hjaltibonhoga light up the Edinburgh night.

Tattoo Dance Director Aileen Robertson has picked

the best of Highland dancers from around the world

to launch the Tattoo Dance Company.

The music is composed by Finlay MacDonald.

Time to splash the tartan.

The Tattoo Dance Company.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The Edinburgh night echoes to a virtuoso drumming display

courtesy of Sergeant Kadome

of the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force Central Band.

HE SHOUTS

HE SHOUTS

On their first appearance at the Tattoo,

the band delivered a varied programme

of contemporary and traditional performance...

with a few surprises.

MAN SHOUTS

MAN SHOUTS

SHE SINGS IN JAPANESE TO THE TUNE OF Annie Laurie

Leading Private Michiko Matsunaga. Stunning.

Harking back to the days of whales and sailing ships,

the United States Naval Forces Europe Band is very much at home

at a maritime-themed Tattoo.

Led by director of music Lieutenant Commander Charles White,

they fill the esplanade with a selection of sea shanties

and hornpipes, played with the usual waves of American pizzazz.

Brake drum?

No, drum break!

Dating from 1897, Asleep In The Deep

reminds us that not all who go down to the sea in ships

will return to dry land safe and sound.

Listen closely to the words of Musician 3rd Class Patrick Melton

from Charleston, South Carolina.

# Stormy the night and the waves roll high

# Bravely the ship doth ride

# Hark! While the lighthouse bell's solemn cry

# Rings o'er the sullen tide

# There on the deck see two lovers stand

# Heart to heart beating and hand in hand

# Though death be near She knows no fear

# While at her side is the one ever near

# Loudly the bell in the old tower rings

# Bidding us list to the warning it brings

# Sailor take care, sailor take care

# Danger is near thee Beware, beware

# Beware, beware

# Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep so beware, beware

# Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep

# So beware, beware... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The Roscommon Hornpipe heralds the return of the Tattoo Dance Company.

AUDIENCE CLAPS IN TIME

With Anchors Aweigh, the United States Naval Forces Europe Band

takes its leave.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

BAND STRIKES UP

As the castle esplanade transforms

into a quiet Highland glen,

the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland

is followed by a small group of Redcoats.

It's a well-known fact that Jacobite rebels

are also partial to a Highland glen,

so there is more than a strong likelihood

that there may be a noisy skirmish in store.

An ambush, in fact.

SHOUTING

# Bonnie Charlie's no' awa'

# Will ye no come back? #

APPLAUSE

With the retreat of the Redcoats,

the Jacobites celebrate a victory.

In reality, their campaign was to end in tragedy

at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746.

Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to Skye

before returning to exile in Rome.

The story continues

with two of Scotland's best-loved songs,

the Skye Boat Song, and Caledonia,

Dougie MacLean's anthem to exiled Scots everywhere.

# Speed, bonnie boat

# Like a bird on the wing... #

The pipes and drums and the dancers

form the pattern of the white cockade,

the traditional symbol of support for the Jacobite cause.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The castle esplanade is transformed into the flight deck

of a modern aircraft-carrier.

A Lynx Mark 3 maritime helicopter with Royal Marines on board

moves into position,

and the scene is set.

Centre stage is the Queen's Colour Squadron,

as they prepare to display their complex silent drill.

They are joined by the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment,

marking its 75th anniversary.

GUNFIRE

The Queen's Colour Squadron

and the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment,

saluted by the Duke of Rothesay.

Recognised as the most versatile, adaptable

and effective military musical

organisation of its kind in the world,

the Royal Marines Band Service continues to be

in a class of its own.

Tonight, the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines

are from Portsmouth, Scotland and the Commando Training Centre.

The inimitable signature tune - A Life On The Ocean Wave.

AUDIENCE CLAPS IN TIME

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The Royal Marine Drum Corps -

perfect percussion.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

HE SHOUTS COMMANDS

Senior Drum Major Buster Brown gives the command

and the bands reform with a new march,

written for the launch of the aircraft-carrier

HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The 2017 Tattoo's Principal Director of Music,

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Grace OBE, takes up the baton

for From Two Steps From Hell's epic track, Flight Of The Silver Bird.

The soloist is musician Reuben Hanna.

# Ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah, ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah, ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

# Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The huge cast is assembled,

and all eyes turn to the sky for the nightly Tattoo fireworks display.

The accompanying music is Michael McDermott's arrangement

of the Procol Harum track Conquistador.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Sergeant Andy Platt, Royal Marines.

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. #

Guard of honour,

slope arms!

And now that international anthem of friendship that Robert Burns

gave to the world...

# 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

# 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... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The assembled cast now takes time to reflect

as they join together in the late Leonard Cohen's

evocative Hallelujah.

# Hallelujah, hallelujah

# Hallelujah, hallelujah

# I heard there was a secret chord

# That David played and it pleased the Lord

# But you don't really care for music, do you?

# It goes like this The fourth, the fifth

# The minor fall and the major lift

# The baffled king composing Hallelujah

# Hallelujah, hallelujah

# Hallelujah, hallelujah

# Hallelujah, hallelujah

# Hallelujah, hallelujah

# Are you there, Lord?

# Are you there, Lord?

# Are you there, Lord?

# Hallelujah

# Hallelujah! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Michiko Matsunaga.

Sunset. The lowering of the flags,

lights out.

High on the castle ramparts,

the lone piper Corporal Charles Johnstone MacLean

plays the slow air Lochaber No More.

APPLAUSE

BANDS STRIKE UP

It's time to bid farewell to this international cast -

the Queen's Colour Squadron. the Royal Navy.

The Tattoo Dance Company. The Vikings, Redcoats and Jacobites.

The Bollywood dancers.

Hjaltibonhoga, the Shetland fiddlers.

We're no' awa' tae bide awa'.

This is the 19th successive sold-out season

of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo,

supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland -

and it's the 23rd and final show

for Tattoo Production Manager Steve Walsh.

He will hang up his hat, and his sure hand will be missed.

Producer Brigadier David Allfrey has delivered a rich variety,

bringing people together and celebrating what makes them

gloriously different.

The Massed Pipes and Drums,

led by Drum Major Michael Hay,

from the Royal Regiment of Scotland,

march towards the cobbles of Castlehill

to the fine tune that has taken generations of pipes and drums

back to barracks - The Black Bear.

It's been a right royal evening of entertainment at Edinburgh Castle,

and this is Bill Paterson wishing you,

wherever in the world you've been watching,

good fortune and good health until we meet again.

MUSIC: Scotland The Brave

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE