The First Foot Guards
We are a Revolutionary War
reenactment group based in Boston MA,
accurately portraying the royal household regiment that is now known as
The Grenadier Guards
Musick
'The military music which stirred the soul and quickened the step of the British redcoat was for the most part of a simple sort. Each regiment of foot had a few fifers and drummers. Each regiment of Guards had in addition a band of eight pieces: two oboes, two clarinets, two horns and two bassoons. The musicians who are said to have been excellent performers were civilians, hired at good pay by the month. Their chief duty was to play from the parade at Horseguards to St James' Palace, while the King's guard was mounted, and back to the Horseguards.'
EE Curtis 'The British Army in the American Revolution' 1926.
It was this band of the First Foot Guards that so impressed George Frederick Handel that he gave the slow march 'Scipio' to the regiment, and it has been our slow march ever since.
The Musick has
the most elaborate uniform of all. In Line Regiments the colors of the coat
were reversed, so that in a regiment with yellow facings the Musick would wear
a yellow coat with red facings.
In Guards regiments, the coats did not take the royal blue of the facings, so
Guards' Musick is attired in red with elaborate lace patterns.
The Musick provided music
that would enable the regiment to easily march in cadence, as well as uplifting
the spirits with merry and rousing tunes.
They had a more important task of sounding out the commands, so that the entire
company could easily comply, especially in the noise and confusion of battle.
"Music
hath charms to soothe a savage breast,
To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak."
William Congreve 1670-1729, dramatist
Band of the Grenadier Guards
(First Foot Guards) today
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Words to "The British Grenadiers" the regimental march.
Regimental slow march Scipio
Anacreon in Heav'n
Go to 'companies'
page
to learn more about other uniforms of this regiment
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