The Black Watch and the Band of the Welsh Guards Keep Alive the Pomp and Pageantry of British Culture
December 23, 2005
The pomp and pageantry of British military tradition are alive and kicking in The Pipes, Drums and Highland Dancers of the First Battalion, The Black Watch, and the Band of the Welsh Guards. The military units, with a combined line-up of about 90 performers, march into Eisenhower Auditorium for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are on sale now at $33 for an adult; $13 for a University Park student; and $24 for a person 18 and younger. For tickets and information, visit www.cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at Eisenhower Auditorium, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays resuming Jan. 3; Penn State Tickets Downtown, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays resuming Jan. 3; and HUB-Robeson Center Information Desk, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays resuming Jan. 9.
Founded more than 250 years ago, The Black Watch–still an active army battalion–fills the stage with Celtic culture, resplendent uniforms and ceremonial flair. The drum and bagpipe bands, dressed in Royal Stewart tartan, embody the never-say-die passion of the Scots. The regimental dance team, drawn from the pipe band, enhances the homage to the highlands.
The members of The Black Watch are soldiers first. The regiment's operational role is that of an infantry machine gun platoon. Recent tours of duty have taken the soldiers to Hong Kong and Kenya. The regiment earned its first battle honor during the War of Austrian Succession at the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745. The Black Watch next distinguished itself at the Battle of Ticonderoga in the French and Indian War.
The Band of the Welsh Guards, meanwhile, was formed in 1915 and was first equipped with instruments presented by the City of Cardiff, Wales. On St. David's Day (March 1) 1916, the band performed its first concert on the stage of the London Opera House. The evening was such a hit that the band's reputation for outstanding performance standards was immediately forged.
Based in London, the band performs for state and ceremonial functions and with many of the world's best orchestras. It most famously provides the musicians for Buckingham Palace's Changing of the Guard. The band's musicians come from backgrounds including colleges, academies, orchestras and other military bands.
From the start, the band has toured the world. In recent years it has visited Belgium, Egypt, Spain, Canada and the United States. Links with traditional recruiting areas in Wales are maintained by regular appearances there, often with the male voice choirs for which the principality is renowned.
Sovereign Bank sponsors the performance. Radio station Froggy 98 is the media sponsor. Artistic Viewpoints, sponsored by the Center for the Performing Arts Community Advisory Council, provides insight from a visiting artist or local expert and is offered free to interested ticket holders in the Eisenhower Auditorium Conference Room one hour before the performance.
Contact: Laura Sullivan
(814) 863-6379