The Beating Retreat of 2013 - "A Military Music Spectacular" on Horse Guards Parade - was performed in the presence of Her Majesty, The Queen. It featured as always, a Marching Display by the Massed Bands of the Foot Guards.
The display begins very softly with the fanfare, "Sunrise" from Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss, which is conducted by the Senior Director of Music Household Division, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Barnwell.
It continues in the same vein with an arrangement by the Senior Director of Music of Tchaikovsky's, "Marche Slave". The music and that first haunting melody can barely be heard at first above the sound of the musicians' boots crunching forwards in slow time on the gravel of Horse Guards Parade, but just like in the fanfare, it crescendos incessantly to a powerful, intimidating and majestic sound.
(The sheet music for this piece is now available from: Kingfisher Music Publishing
Website: https://www.kingfishermusicpublishing.com/)
The first Quick March is homegrown - it was written by a Serving Director of Music, Major Simon Haw. "Flying Colours" is the perfect sequel to Marche Slave in this carefully crafted marching display, which requires the flanking bands of the Grenadier Guards and Coldstream Guards to break out in quick time and circle the remaining 3 bands in opposite directions.
(Several works from this composer are also available from: Kingfisher Music Publishing
Website: https://www.kingfishermusicpublishing.com/)
The final Quick March is Kenneth Alford's "Army of the Nile". It was chosen because of its key and character, which provides a feeling of musical balance and symmetry when set against Marche Slave at opposite ends of the programme of music for this display.
Then, just when it looks like it has all the finished, the bands provide on more surprise and flourish. They split in half in dying moments of the march, turn to face each other and play antiphonally in a direct challenge for ultimate supremacy, before finally joining forces once more just in time to finish as one.