ALTISSIMO RECORDINGS SALUTES
THE ROSEVILLE COMMUNITY BAND
ROSEVILLE, MINNESOTA

JACK KOPSTEIN

concert-at-the-park

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Welcome to the Altissimo! Recordings Community Band Spotlight. We try to find a band deserving of some attention for their great community effort each month. This month, Jack Kopstein brought the Roseville Community band from Minnesota to our attention. Here’s what he had to say about them:

The ROSEVILLE COMMUNITY BAND, from Roseville, Minnesota, began as the Roseville Municipal Band. Founded by Mark Lammers, the first organizational meeting was held on March 10, 1964. In 1970 Lammers accepted a postition at Gustavus Adolphus College and was replaced by Roger Sorenson who directed the band for one year.

The directors changed hands as follows: Tom Haugen directed from 1971 – 1973, followed by Dave Magnuson, 1972 – 1974, Dick Miller from 1974 – 1975, and Dave Magnuson again from 1975 – 76. In 1976 Bob Lancette became the next director and remained until 1987. Sam Marks replaced Lancette and directed the band from 1987 until 1995, playing in the French Horn section from 1978 until becoming the director. Kay Foster served as interim director from September to January 1996. Rob McWilliams directed the band from January 1996 until July 1996. Patricia DeBenedetto served as director from that time until January of 1999. Sam Marks served, once again, as the interim director during April and May of 1999. Denny Schackel was director from then until July 2000, with Kay Foster picking up as interim again for fall 2000.

Daniel Kuch is the current director and has been since February 2001.

In 1978 the band was invited to participate in the INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL in Dublin, Ireland (the first adult community band to be invited to this event from the United States). A decade later the band geared up for another round of fundraising activities, and in July of 1992,  they played a series of concerts in Lucerne, Switzerland and Salzberg, Austria.

The ROSEVILLE COMMUNITY BAND has established itself as one of the top community bands in the upper Midwest. It is a true community band in that no auditions are required and membership is open to any adult musician. The purpose of the band is to provide the opportunity for the adult musician to play for personal satisfaction and provide a service for the community. Since 1980, at the annual spring concert, the band has awarded scholarships to area school musicians for the purpose of furthering their musical endeavours. The band observed its 30th anniversary by commissioning a composition. Internationally known composer, musician, and educator *Dr. Frank Bencriscutto composed “SUMMER IN CENTRAL PARK” for the band. The late “Dr. Ben”, a Roseville resident, conducted the work at the 30th anniversary concert in 1994.

Our hats are off to one of America’s finest community bands that maintain the wonderful tradition of hometown bands in the great State of Minnesota.

For more information about the Roseville Community Band, visit their website here.

The band is sponsored by the CITY OF ROSEVILLE PARKS and RECREATION DEPARTMENT

*Dr. Frank Peter Anthony Bencriscutto(1928-1997) was known as a conductor, educator, and composer. A longtime Director of Bands at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Bencriscutto and the band toured the USSR for seven weeks in 1969, with a final performance at the White House. An avid jazz musician, performing on saxophone and clarinet, he is also credited with introducing jazz into the music curriculum at the University of Minnesota. After retiring in 1993, Dr. Bencriscutto soon joined the faculty at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan as a visiting professor and conductor of the wind ensemble until 1996. He was posthumously awarded the 1997 Medal of Honor by the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. The collection consists of programs, articles, compositions, and recordings related to Bencriscutto’s career.

**If you know of a community band you’d like to see featured here, please let us know! Email krista@militarymusic.com

THE BRITISH GRENADIERS MARCH
By Jack Kopstein

The British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British military, the tune of which dates from the seventeenth century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It is also an authorized march of The Royal Gibraltar Regiment, The Royal Canadian Artillery, The Canadian Grenadier Guards, The Royal Regiment of Canada, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, and The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles.

A song entitled “The New Bath” found in Playford’s dance books from the 1600s is thought to be the origin. However, it is also suggested that it was derived from the Dutch march “De Jonge Prins van Friesland” (“The Young Prince of Friesland”, referring to Prince Johan Willem Friso); the first notes of this tune are similar. The march was introduced to Britain during the reign of the Dutch Stadholder-King William III. Today it is played as the Royal Inspection March in the Dutch army, and as a march to the crown prince.

The first known association of the tune with the regiment is in 1706 as ‘The Grenadier’s March’, and the first version printed with lyrics from around 1750. It was a popular tune throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and remained so until this day. During Operation Market Garden, a few men of the British 1st Airborne Division are said to have played this song using a flute and a few helmets and sticks as drums.

In the UK, it is played at Trooping the Colour. Additionally, the first eight measures are played during the ceremony when the Escort for the Colour marches into position on Horse Guards Parade.

The following text is the most well-known version of the song. The text arguably dates back to the War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713), since it refers to the grenadiers throwing grenades (a practice that proved to be too dangerous and was dropped soon after,) and the men wearing “caps and pouches” (i.e. the typical grenadier caps, worn by these elite troops, and probably the small cartridge boxes worn in front, known as a ‘belly box’) and “louped clothes”, then preserved only for the grenadiers.

Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules
Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these.
But of all the world’s great heroes, there’s none that can compare.
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, to the British Grenadiers.
Those heroes of antiquity ne’er saw a cannon ball,
Or knew the force of powder to slay their foes withal.
But our brave boys do know it, and banish all their fears,
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, for the British Grenadiers.
Whene’er we are commanded to storm the palisades,
Our leaders march with fusees, and we with hand grenades.
We throw them from the glacis, about the enemies’ ears.
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, the British Grenadiers.
And when the siege is over, we to the town repair.
The townsmen cry, “Hurrah, boys, here comes a Grenadier!
Here come the Grenadiers, my boys, who know no doubts or fears!
Then sing tow, row, row, row, row, row, the British Grenadiers. Then let us fill a bumper, and drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches, and wear the loupèd clothes.
May they and their commanders live happy all their years.
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, for the British Grenadiers.

There are a number of words in the song which are not in current usage
•    Fusees – The Grenadier officers carried fusees – fusils, or muskets rather than bombs.
•    Glacis – A term in the science of fortification, referring to the smooth sloping embankment that usually preceded the pit in front of the walls of a fort. Designed to deflect cannonballs, but also a dangerously exposed place to stand throwing grenades.
•    Bumper – A bumper was any container that could be used to clink with another reveller’s bumper in a toast to someone’s health. It could be filled with beer or some other alcoholic drink. It usually referred to a handled vessel such as a (pewter or ceramic) beer-mug or (leathern) jack, but it could refer to a (horn or pewter) beaker or even to a (treen, pewter or silver) punchbowl that could be picked up and passed around for everyone to quaff.
•    Louped clothes – (pronounced “loup-ed” in order for it to scan) It means ‘looped’, and refers to the lace (those ‘bastion loops’) worn as an elite distinction by the grenadiers during the War of Austrian Succession. Other sources suggest that it refers only to the laced shoulder ‘wings’ worn by Grenadiers.
•    toe row row – Refers to forming up in rows in a straight line, i.e. with toes on the line.
•    The song is also the regimental song to the Fort Henry Guard, a generic military regiment representing a British regiment of 1867 in British North America. The guard are part of the living museum at Fort Henry,  in Kingston Ontario. The march is played on fifes and as such some of the sequential notes are omitted because of the limitation of the instrument.

*Altissimo! Recordings has several international band albums from British regiments. Specifically, When the Guards Are on Parade features the band of the Grenadier guards playing a multitude of music, including “The British Grenadiers” march.

The march is also found on Regimental Marches of the British Army and 100 Greatest Military Band Favourites.

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

contributed by Jack Kopstein

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Featuring over 2,000 world-class Canadian and international military and civilian performers, the Tattoo continues to live up to its reputation as one of the world’s premiere cultural and entertainment events. The Tattoo strikes a unique balance, featuring pipes and drums, military and civilian bands, historic re-enactments, dancers, acrobats, choirs, military displays and competitions, drama and comedy in a number of innovative acts, in a fast-paced two and a half hour family show. The Tattoo is held annually at the Halifax Metro Centre during the first week of July.

A different show every year, the Tattoo is a masterpiece of colour, music, artistry, athleticism and nostalgia that continues to amaze audiences each year.

To date, 23 countries have participated in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.  This past year was our 30th Anniversary!  It featured many bands from all over the world! Here are some examples.

CANADA:
Stadacona Band of Maritime Forces Atlantic
National Band of Naval Reserve
Land Force Atlantic Area Band
The Band of the Ceremonial Guard
The Massed Bands and Pipes of the Canadian Air Force
Pipes & Drums of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment
3 Area Support Group Pipes & Drums
12 Wing Shearwater Pipes & Drums
14 Wing Greenwood Pipes & Drums
Nova Scotia Highlanders Pipes & Drums
Canadian Cadet Pipes and Drums
The RCMP Pipes and Drums
Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo/Black Watch Association Pipes
& Drums

OUTSIDE CANADA:
The Royal Band of the Belgian Air Force
Copenhagen Police Band
Military District Band I (Germany)
Royal Fire Brigade Band Malmo Sweden
Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Welsh
Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums (U.S.A.)
The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo thrills an audience of 60,000 every year.

For more information, please visit our website at www.nstattoo.ca

Our thanks for info to:
Leah Whitehead
Group Sales, Media Relations
and Publications Coordinator
Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo
1586 Queen Street, Halifax, NS B3J 2J1
Phone: (902) 420-4620
Fax: (902) 423-6629