MILITARY BAND VISIT PENNSYLVANIA
Wednesday 1st December 2010
As part of the School's active exchange programme with 4 different Schools in two continents, ten members of the Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover recently visited Valley Forge Military Academy and College located near Philadelphia, USA. VFMA&C is a famous military boarding school which boasts a range of very famous alumni including General Norman Schwarzkopf and the novelist JD Salinger who is said to have based the first part of his famous novel "Catcher in the Rye" on his life in the Academy.
For the third successive year members of the Duke of York's military band were invited to join the VFMA&C band to play at their end of term tattoo just prior to Thanksgiving Day.
The schedule included some intensive rehearsal days, the first of which was a six-hour marathon in the practice room, coming to terms with some very challenging repertoire. Once mastered however there still remained the challenge of all the drill movements to add, and the different way the USA band marches.
Time was also found to take in some local sights and history, including in Philadelphia the Liberty Bell and the congress house. Other places of interest visited were the National Park and Memorial at Valley Forge, an important location during the American War of Independence. At the very last minute an exciting trip to New York was organised (about 2 hours by coach) visiting the Statue of Liberty and Times Square plus time for some retail therapy!
The tattoo itself was staged in the impressive gymnasium at VFMC&C before the camp president and commandant, all students and their parents, an audience of over 500 in total. All participants joined for the finale which featured the ever popular bagpipe tune' Highland Cathedral' and another arrangement by Major Cresswell of 'Abide with Me' which included both the British 'Last Post' and American 'Taps'.
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