
Pipers and Drummers from Cadet battalions across Scotland and Northern Ireland took part in a Massed Military Bands Concert.
Twenty-four cadets, performing as part the Army Cadet Force Pipes & Drums, performed in the 19th Rorke’s Drift Concert held at the Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon, Wales.
The event saw bands from over thirteen different Cadet counties, from as far and wide as Orkney and Surrey, taking part in an intense two days of rehearsals at Crickhowell Cadet Training Centre before taking part in the largest combined concert in the ACF Music Calendar, in front of 500 spectators.
This was the first time the Pipes & Drums, who were invited down as guest performers, had been asked to attend the concert.
Cadet Corporal Ryan Green (1st Battalion The Highlanders ACF) was honoured to be chosen to go.
He said: “It was an honour to have been invited to play at the concert and was an experience I enjoyed and would not have gained without the help of the ACF, the massed pipes & drums, all of my previous and current instructors and of course Major Ross Munro (National Cadet Piping & Drumming Executive Officer).”
This year’s concert saw performances of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville in honour of the 200th anniversary of its premiere. There were also performances from the music of John Williams, a selection of the Beatles’ hit, The Bridge on the River Kwai and also Skyfall. The evening ended with a finale of a Massed Bands performance of Highland Cathedral (pictured above), which brought a tear to many an eye and even led to a standing ovation.
Cadet Corporal Lewis Dillon (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) said: “I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Military Bands and it’s another great experience to add to my CV.”
Major Ross Munro was grateful to everyone who took part and represented the Pipes & Drums of the Cadet force.
He said: “Well done and thank you to members of the ACF Pipes & Drums who took part in what can only be described as a stunning performance. The feedback received has been fantastic, I can safely say we have made a lasting impression.”
The concert, organised by Gwent and Powys ACF, featured over 150 Army Cadet musicians from across the United Kingdom, performing a wide range of music, from traditional military marches to popular classics.