London for Ceremonial 
A Birthday Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen
Windsor Castle
Saturday 13th June 2020
March On
The Guards Colour - W Hughes
William Hughes served as a musician in the Band of the Scots Guards between the wars and is best known for his march ‘To Your Guard’. The Guards’ Colours was last played on the parade in 1936, the one and only birthday parade for King Edward VIII.
To freely download the audio click here
Auxiliary Territorial Service March - E Spooner
This march was chosen for the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Her Majesty The Queen, or as she was then, Princess Elizabeth served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service making this her Regimental March.
To freely download the audio click here
Incidental Music
Welsh Airs & Graces - Arr Maj T Davis
Major Davis arranged Welsh Airs and Graces to be played at the Queen’s Birthday Parade in 1998 for the Slow Inspection. Sadly, he died a few weeks before the parade after a short illness at the age of just 47. The melodies include Jenny Jones, Megan’s Fair Daughter, The Dove and The Ash Grove.
To freely download the audio click here
Trumpet Tune & Air - H Purcell, Arr P Carroll & Lt Col S Haw MBE
To freely download the audio click here
Men of Harlech - Traditional
The Slow March of the Welsh Guards ‘Men of Harlech’ was originally a song which is said to describe events during the seven-year siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the Garrison withstood the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles.
To freely download the audio click here
Arrival of Her Majesty The Queen
Royal Salute
The National Anthem - Arr Lt Col Brown OBE
Like many aspects of British constitutional life, even ‘God Save the Queen’ derives its official status from custom and use, not from Royal Proclamation or Act of Parliament. The variation in the UK of the lyrics to ‘God Save the Queen’ is the oldest amongst those currently used and forms the basis on which all other versions used throughout the Commonwealth are formed.
To freely download the audio click here
The Troop
The Guard Repositions
The Rising of the Lark - Arr J Kappey
'Codiad yr Ehedydd’ or ‘Rising of the Lark’ was established as the Regimental Quick March of the Welsh Guards upon the Regiment’s formation in 1915. It was arranged by Jacob Kappey who also published the book ‘Short History of Military Music’ in 1894.
To freely download the audio click here
Slow Troop
Les Huguenots - G Meyerbeer, Arr D Godfrey
The Slow Troop ‘Les Huguenots’ is the traditional musical starting point for the Trooping of Colour. It has been played every year on the parade since 1936 and on numerous occasions before this dating back as far as 1869.
To freely download the audio click here
Quick Troop
Triple Crown - T Brien
In Rugby Union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the “Home Nations” of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. This march has been used as the Quick Inspection on two previous occasions when the Welsh Guards have Trooped their Colour (1973 and 1998).
To freely download the audio click here
The Guard positions to receive the Colour
The British Grenadier - Arr J Kappey
The exact origins of the tune are disputed but generally date to the early 17th century. The debate is best summarised by the composer Ernest Walker in 1907 who described the melody as “three centuries evolution of an Elizabethan tune”. The melody was introduced into Britain as a military march during the 1689–1702 reign of William III.
To freely download the audio click here
Trooping the Colour
Escort to the Colour - E Waldteufel, Arr Lt Col R Ridings OBE
To reduce the repetition of the ‘Grenadiers’ Slow March’, a new arrangement made by Major Richard Ridings, the then Senior Director of Music was introduced in 1978 to be played from the point when the Escort to the Colour step off in slow time to the point when the remaining Guards ‘Present Arms’ as the Colour is trooped along the ranks. The march is based on themes from Waldteufel’s waltz ‘The Grenadiers’, thus maintaining the Grenadier connection with this part of the ceremony.
To freely download the audio click here
Grenadiers' Slow March - Arr Lt Col F Harris OBE
This march was adopted by the Regiment in 1815, having repulsed the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo, the First Guards became a The Regiment of Grenadiers.
Royal Salute
The National Anthem - Arr Lt Col Brown OBE
Like many aspects of British constitutional life, even ‘God Save the Queen’ derives its official status from custom and use, not from Royal Proclamation or Act of Parliament. The variation in the UK of the lyrics to ‘God Save the Queen’ is the oldest amongst those currently used and forms the basis on which all other versions used throughout the Commonwealth are formed.
To freely download the audio click here
The March Off
The Rising of the Lark - Arr J Kappey
'Codiad yr Ehedydd’ or ‘Rising of the Lark’ was established as the Regimental Quick March of the Welsh Guards upon the Regiment’s formation in 1915. It was arranged by Jacob Kappey who also published the book ‘Short History of Military Music’ in 1894.
To freely download the audio click here
The Welshman - Arr Lt Col P Hannam MBE BEM
‘The Welshman’ was written for the Welsh Guards’ 75th Anniversary in 1990 and is based on several well-loved Welsh melodies. Lt Col Peter Hannam was awarded the British Empire Medal while on active service in Cyprus as a Corporal with the Band of the 1st Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment. He subsequently became the Bandmaster of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Prince of Wales’s Division before becoming Director of Music of the Queen’s Division, followed by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and subsequently the Welsh Guards. He became the Senior Director of Music, Household Division in 1989.
To freely download the audio click here
All 15 music tracks on this page are freely available to all for download,
but for strictly non-commercial use.
To download the whole album please click here.