Thanks very much Brian. They certainly do have a fantastic bass sound. As you probably know, this is no doubt helped by the fact that they still use a B-flat bass (tuba), which is bigger and deeper than the usual E-flat basses but is very rarely seen in UK military bands on the march these days. The player is very powerful and enthusiastic. The current bass trombone player really adds to the bass sound as well.
@@MikeM14-40 here in the States, the bands tend toward the Sousaphone, instead of a tuba. The tuba seems to be used more in concert setting and with orchestras.
@@briannicholas2757 Hello again Brian. I know what a Sousaphone is. Without researching it in detail, I guess that it was invented by Sousa (the march composer) and was invented specifically to make a naturally heavy instrument easier to carry while marching, as it wraps around the player's body so not all the weight is borne by the player's arms. The bell pointing forwards, instead of to the side, will make the band sound different, and of course the bell itself looks a lot bigger than the bell of a tuba, which will have some effect on the sound. It looks as if Sousaphones are used instead of tubas in quite a lot of European bands that march, as well. It is always interesting to see how various countries' preferences in instruments and instrument design differ, some of which is due to tradition and some of which is down to practicality. Also, most "British" brass instruments use piston valves whereas in other countries rotary valves are preferred (including on tubas). Furthermore there are the differences in nomenclature between countries. As I'm sure you know, what we in the UK call a euphonium is often called a baritone in the States, whereas what we call a baritone (used in brass bands but not very often in military bands) is called a "tenor horn" or "tenor" in the States, and what we call a tenor horn (again, used in brass bands but very rarely in military bands) is sometimes called an alto horn in the States. It's all a huge subject!
@@MikeM14-40 ot really is funny the difference in names for essentially identical instruments. The Sousaphone, if I recall my history, was invented by one of John Philip Sousa's tuba players, for the first reason you mentioned, and because it projected sound forward toward the audience in an outdoor environment or whilst marching. He named it after his boss. Here in the states, they come in regular, shiny brass, which are what you see commonly in military bands. And in a white fiberglass (??) version, which you see commonly in school bands and university marching bands. They frequently have a very thin cloth covering over the bell which will display the schools logo or mascot. My parents introduced me to music at a very young age with accordion and then piano. In elementary school I started playing the b flat trumpet, however when I got into our town's middle school band, the band director realized I could sight read both treble and bass cliff, which is not so common among a lot of school band kids here. So he switched me over to the US version of a baritone horn ( bigger with a curved bell) and started teaching me trombone, because he needed a bass trombone in the high school jazz/stage band ( think 1940s Big Band ). Once I got used to the new mouthpiece size, I could switch around and play our version of the alto horn. I tried French horn, but hated the tiny mouthpiece, and couldn't switch between instruments well. While I attended Norwich University, which is the US oldest private military college, I was in band company, which formed the Regimental Band, and continued with Baritone, bass Tombone, Euphonium, and rarely Alto horns. It was loads of fun, our band was around 75 to 80 members and we traveled a lot, including being the lead off band in NYC's St. Patrick's day parade for 4 years running. I took a conducting course in college, and learned how to position the various instruments for both marching and concert formations. Ours looks pretty similar to the British bands I see. The Sousaphones, band directors here like at least 2, are usually in the back row. Sadly, here in the US, music education in schools is dying out, and it's rare to find a high school with a band anymore. Growing up in the 1970s, I practiced my piano and my primary band instrument for a minimum of an hour a day, longer before concerts and recitals. And my parents insured I did it. I'm not so sure today's kids have the discipline to practice like that. It's really a shame. Or that today's parents want to be bothered carting kids to music lessons, band rehearsals, parades, etc.
@@briannicholas2757 Hello again Brian, and that's a lot of interesting information! Although I was never in the military, your musical development and mine followed patterns that were similar in many ways. I was fortunate to start being taught the piano when I was about 9. At 11 I started on the trumpet as my first brass instrument, but very soon, when I started playing in the school brass band, I realised that I wanted to play the tuba, so it wasn't long before I was on E-flat tuba. My mother got very tired of carting me and the large instrument around in her small car, so I decided to change to euphonium, and told her that this would be a lot smaller than the tuba. The euphonium became my favourite instrument, and, as well as continuing in the school band until I left school, I played, over many years, in various local (civilian) brass bands as an adult. These ranged from non-contesting bands right up to one that competed at Championship level. I finally "retired" from playing in brass bands in 1997, but I did keep hold of my instruments and would more recently get back in practice and play in "ad hoc" smaller ensembles for events such as friends' and associates' weddings. I never tried conducting, but I did enjoy (on an amateur basis) arranging music for smaller brass ensembles and occasionally full bands, and I also composed 5 marches for full brass band. I certainly share your views about lack of music education these days - the situation here in the UK sounds very similar to what you describe for the US. Getting to play a brass instrument to one's full potential requires an enormous amount of application, discipline, practice, and time, over a sustained period. These days, attention spans are so short and youngsters (although I mustn't over-generalise) are so "busy" partly thanks to the internet and mobile phones, etc, that there are signs of an increasing shortage of good players both in military and civilian life, and the pipeline of new players with the necessary degree of commitment is diminishing.
Thanks for posting, Mike. I have a new favorite spectator. Around the 7:02 mark, a boy appears. He’s wearing dark blue shorts with a shirt with dark blue sleeves and light blue body. The man running past him holding a tot scared me
Hi Charlotte, and thanks for the comment. I'm glad you've got another favourite spectator. I know who he is, he's often there, and he has a very good knowledge of the various different Guards which he enjoys sharing with us. As you say, the running man looks a bit worrying. I also have an update. I saw your gentleman yesterday when I was walking through the crowds during the "interval". He wasn't in green this time, but in dark blue. I haven't seen him in my video yet but might see him if I study it more closely.
@@charlottecunningham2141 Hi again Charlotte - I think that your elderly friend can be seen near the left of the picture starting at about 6:32 , and then more clearly once he's walked behind the bus shelter, at about 6:50 ! Sorry if I've got the wrong person.
Great video Mike. Thanks for posting.
They have a fantastic bass end, and their music director really picked sone great marches to highlight that.
Thanks very much Brian. They certainly do have a fantastic bass sound. As you probably know, this is no doubt helped by the fact that they still use a B-flat bass (tuba), which is bigger and deeper than the usual E-flat basses but is very rarely seen in UK military bands on the march these days. The player is very powerful and enthusiastic. The current bass trombone player really adds to the bass sound as well.
@@MikeM14-40 here in the States, the bands tend toward the Sousaphone, instead of a tuba. The tuba seems to be used more in concert setting and with orchestras.
@@briannicholas2757 Hello again Brian. I know what a Sousaphone is. Without researching it in detail, I guess that it was invented by Sousa (the march composer) and was invented specifically to make a naturally heavy instrument easier to carry while marching, as it wraps around the player's body so not all the weight is borne by the player's arms. The bell pointing forwards, instead of to the side, will make the band sound different, and of course the bell itself looks a lot bigger than the bell of a tuba, which will have some effect on the sound. It looks as if Sousaphones are used instead of tubas in quite a lot of European bands that march, as well. It is always interesting to see how various countries' preferences in instruments and instrument design differ, some of which is due to tradition and some of which is down to practicality. Also, most "British" brass instruments use piston valves whereas in other countries rotary valves are preferred (including on tubas). Furthermore there are the differences in nomenclature between countries. As I'm sure you know, what we in the UK call a euphonium is often called a baritone in the States, whereas what we call a baritone (used in brass bands but not very often in military bands) is called a "tenor horn" or "tenor" in the States, and what we call a tenor horn (again, used in brass bands but very rarely in military bands) is sometimes called an alto horn in the States.
It's all a huge subject!
@@MikeM14-40 ot really is funny the difference in names for essentially identical instruments.
The Sousaphone, if I recall my history, was invented by one of John Philip Sousa's tuba players, for the first reason you mentioned, and because it projected sound forward toward the audience in an outdoor environment or whilst marching. He named it after his boss.
Here in the states, they come in regular, shiny brass, which are what you see commonly in military bands. And in a white fiberglass (??) version, which you see commonly in school bands and university marching bands. They frequently have a very thin cloth covering over the bell which will display the schools logo or mascot.
My parents introduced me to music at a very young age with accordion and then piano. In elementary school I started playing the b flat trumpet, however when I got into our town's middle school band, the band director realized I could sight read both treble and bass cliff, which is not so common among a lot of school band kids here. So he switched me over to the US version of a baritone horn ( bigger with a curved bell) and started teaching me trombone, because he needed a bass trombone in the high school jazz/stage band ( think 1940s Big Band ). Once I got used to the new mouthpiece size, I could switch around and play our version of the alto horn. I tried French horn, but hated the tiny mouthpiece, and couldn't switch between instruments well.
While I attended Norwich University, which is the US oldest private military college, I was in band company, which formed the Regimental Band, and continued with Baritone, bass Tombone, Euphonium, and rarely Alto horns. It was loads of fun, our band was around 75 to 80 members and we traveled a lot, including being the lead off band in NYC's St. Patrick's day parade for 4 years running.
I took a conducting course in college, and learned how to position the various instruments for both marching and concert formations. Ours looks pretty similar to the British bands I see. The Sousaphones, band directors here like at least 2, are usually in the back row.
Sadly, here in the US, music education in schools is dying out, and it's rare to find a high school with a band anymore. Growing up in the 1970s, I practiced my piano and my primary band instrument for a minimum of an hour a day, longer before concerts and recitals. And my parents insured I did it. I'm not so sure today's kids have the discipline to practice like that. It's really a shame. Or that today's parents want to be bothered carting kids to music lessons, band rehearsals, parades, etc.
@@briannicholas2757 Hello again Brian, and that's a lot of interesting information! Although I was never in the military, your musical development and mine followed patterns that were similar in many ways. I was fortunate to start being taught the piano when I was about 9. At 11 I started on the trumpet as my first brass instrument, but very soon, when I started playing in the school brass band, I realised that I wanted to play the tuba, so it wasn't long before I was on E-flat tuba. My mother got very tired of carting me and the large instrument around in her small car, so I decided to change to euphonium, and told her that this would be a lot smaller than the tuba. The euphonium became my favourite instrument, and, as well as continuing in the school band until I left school, I played, over many years, in various local (civilian) brass bands as an adult. These ranged from non-contesting bands right up to one that competed at Championship level. I finally "retired" from playing in brass bands in 1997, but I did keep hold of my instruments and would more recently get back in practice and play in "ad hoc" smaller ensembles for events such as friends' and associates' weddings. I never tried conducting, but I did enjoy (on an amateur basis) arranging music for smaller brass ensembles and occasionally full bands, and I also composed 5 marches for full brass band.
I certainly share your views about lack of music education these days - the situation here in the UK sounds very similar to what you describe for the US. Getting to play a brass instrument to one's full potential requires an enormous amount of application, discipline, practice, and time, over a sustained period. These days, attention spans are so short and youngsters (although I mustn't over-generalise) are so "busy" partly thanks to the internet and mobile phones, etc, that there are signs of an increasing shortage of good players both in military and civilian life, and the pipeline of new players with the necessary degree of commitment is diminishing.
Agree with Brian Nicholas. Lovely clear post. Cracking music as ever! Best wishes from Cornwall👍👍👍👍
Hi Dorald Eddy, and many thanks for the appreciative comment!
Smashing video Mike, fantastic sound from this band. You can almost feel those tuba notes! Thanks for making the journey again and sharing your video👍
Hi Ann, good to hear from you, and many thanks for the appreciative comments!
Beautiful video Mark , thank you for this ! Enjoyed it! 🙋♂️🇳🇱
Hello JWF7000, thank you for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Very beautiful, bands walking down the streets! Thank you!
Thank you for the nice comment, AlbaAlba!
Good afternoon! Sorry, just to be correct my name is only Alba (not twice!), that's an error and it sounds so strange to me! Sorry, thank you!
@@AlbaAlba-fg2io Hello again, Alba, and thank you for pointing out your correct name! I will try to remember this for the future.
Thanks for posting, Mike. I have a new favorite spectator. Around the 7:02 mark, a boy appears. He’s wearing dark blue shorts with a shirt with dark blue sleeves and light blue body. The man running past him holding a tot scared me
Hi Charlotte, and thanks for the comment. I'm glad you've got another favourite spectator. I know who he is, he's often there, and he has a very good knowledge of the various different Guards which he enjoys sharing with us.
As you say, the running man looks a bit worrying.
I also have an update. I saw your gentleman yesterday when I was walking through the crowds during the "interval". He wasn't in green this time, but in dark blue. I haven't seen him in my video yet but might see him if I study it more closely.
@@MikeM14-40 you’re always welcome, and that’s great on the boy and my elderly friend
@@charlottecunningham2141 Hi again Charlotte - I think that your elderly friend can be seen near the left of the picture starting at about 6:32 , and then more clearly once he's walked behind the bus shelter, at about 6:50 ! Sorry if I've got the wrong person.
@@MikeM14-40I think that may be him😊thanks