Today, August 31, Moscow's Red Square hosted the fifth show of the Fourteenth Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival.
Every night from August 27 till September 3 the Festival invites you to come to the main square of the country and enjoy some of the best military bands, dance ensembles and honor guard units from Russia, Belarus, Greece, Mexico and Qatar.
We have already presented to you all our foreign guests telling in detail about their show programs, and now it's time to get acquainted with the Russian ensembles. The first to be introduced are the President's Band and Honor Guard Unit of the Presidential Regiment of the Moscow Kremlin Commandant's Service of the Federal Guard Service of Russia and the Central Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Spasskaya Tower Festival's permanent participants, its pride and a true magnet for the audiences.
The President’s Band is the leading military ensemble that performs at official state ceremonies and events with the participation of high-ranking officials, heads of states and governments as well as diplomatic delegations.
Accompanied by the Honor Guard Unit the President's Band has never missed a single Moscow Tattoo run.
Performed by the Suvorov cadets of the Moscow Military Music College, sounds of fanfares and drums fill the air around Red Square paving the way for the President's Band. Marching in perfectly arranged lines, the musicians hit the square's ancient cobblestones under the lead of Colonel Evgeniy Nikitin, Conductor of the Band and Honored Artist of Russia. They are followed by the stately members of the Honor Guard Unit of the Presidential Regiment. For this year's show the President's Band has gone for more traditional marching and orchestra pieces featuring the March of Enthusiasts by Isaac Dunaevsky, the Jurev 98th Infantry Regiment Countermarch by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Salute to the Brave Russian Army Triunph March by Wilhelm Wurm and for a change Ostrovskiy's May There Always Be Sunshine.
The Special Guard Unit members comes to the fore and begins demonstrating their perfect skills of arm drilling and intricate regrouping. They form rectangular geometric shapes and circles, twist SKS carbines high in the air, line up and show the perfect Domino pattern. As always, smoothly and precisely.
And now all the flags have come to visit us: the honor guard brings onto Red Square flags of all the country's taking part in the 2021 Festival, and then to the March of the Merry Fellows (Isaac Dunaevsky) both musicians and the unit members leaves the square.
For the fourteenth Spasskaya Tower Tattoo run the Central Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defense have prepared a medley on the themes of Zatsepin's songs , dedicating their performance to this brilliant Russian composer, who turned 95 this year. "If i hadn't gone to the Army, I wouldn't have become a composer", cited Zatsepin's words Alexander Romanov, the official voice of the festival. If I were a Sultan songs is herd on the square. Quite a bold move, don't you think – a very serious military band and such a frivolous song. But as high-end professionals, musicians of the central Military Band skillfully posses all styles and genres imaginable. Thus, they easily build their entire musical program jn combination of humor, fun, music and dancing.
The night is crowned by the performance of gorgeous Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Honored Artist of Russia and Georgia, to the accompaniment of the Central Military Band of the Russian MoD. Tamara Gverdtsiteli has been part of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Tattoo since 2015, becoming the Festival’s loyal friend. This year you may enjoy her performances every day till September 3.
