The sixth evening show of the Eleventh Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival has been held today, August 29. And we are going on telling you about this year Festival’s participants.
The Brentwood Imperial Youth Band (the United Kingdom) is stepping onto the cobblestone of Red Square. Formed in 1990 by the Member of the Order of the British Empire Mr. John Wyndham, since 2013 the Band is led by his son Mr. Johnpaul Wyndham. The Band has over 70 musicians; the youngest of them is just 11 years old. The ensemble is one of the best youth marching bands in the United Kingdom and enjoys wide popularity.
The Brentwood Imperial Youth Band performs in red uniform typical of Guard units. They to the sounds of a British march step onto Red Square keeping tight columns. Then they stop for a moment and paly a very beautiful minor melody followed by a realignment after which the band moves on keeping wide front. Drummers step onto the forefront and perform the composition in the name of the victims of the Passchendaele Battle. On leaving the cobblestone young musicians perform the Cavalry of the Steepes, a very touching Russian melody composed by Lev Knipper.
The audiences of the Spasskaya Tower Festival are already familiar with Maria Zotko and her work. In 2016 and 2017 her International Highland Dance Team performed with the Celtic Massed Pipes and Drums. This year Maria Zotko presents the International Irish Dance Team featuring 38 dancers from Russia, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The majority of the group is Russian girls and there are only three guys. The ensemble also includes four musicians playing the accordion, keyboard, flute and guitar.
Perform tap dance on the cobblestone is not an easy task. That’s why the directors of the Spasskaya Tower Festival have come up with an original solution. They have placed the dancers on a wooden platform that is being pulled out onto the very center of Red Square by two small lift trucks.
Then the spotlights are turned on another two groups of dancers appear on the platform to the sounds of exquisitely rhythmic music. And so the show begins. Dancers wow the audience with their precise, intricate and deep-tone taping technique moving in an exuberant dance which leaves no one untouched. This performance, especially prepared for the Festival, bears the name the Claddagh Dreams.
Each evening show grand finale of the Spasskaya Tower Festival features the performance of the combined band uniting all the Festival’s participants. Conducted by Colonel Timofey Mayakin, Head of the Military Music Band Service of the Russian Armed Forces – Chief Military Conductor and Music Director of the Spasskaya Tower Festival musicians perform the Officers’ Ball potpourri of well-known Russian and foreign composers, including Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Dunaevsky, Sviridov, Frenkel, Nikitin, Strauss and others. The final accord adjourning the show is Tchaikovsky Overture “1812”.
As a matter of tradition the main show of the Spasskaya Tower Festival finishes with grandiose fireworks.
Among this evening’s guests of honor there were Major General of the Republican Guard of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ermek Ukibaev; Major General Helmi Ahmed Soliman Mohamed Hattab, Head of the Military Music Band Service of the Egyptian Armed Forces; Brigadier General Amra Sakra, Defense Attaché of the Egyptian Embassy to Russia; conductor of the Carabinieri Band Massimiliano Chafrei; Mr. Strgar Tomas and Mastnak Zdravko, honor guests from Slovenia; Colonel Bruno Alois Rusi, Defense Attaché of the Swiss Embassy to Russia and Doyen of the Military and Diplomatic Corps and Colonel Andrey Filyakin, Commandant of the Presidential Regiment of the Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation.
