The Platinum Jubilee - Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the colour)
In 2022 we had the immense privilege of contributing three bespoke compositions to Queen Elizabeth II’s final birthday parade, an event which began the United Kingdom’s celebration of her incredible reign. ‘The Platinum Jubilee March’ (more can be learned about this great march in ‘original compositions’ page), ‘Irish Saffron’ and ‘Bob’s own’ were central to the parade, and were performed by 250 of the world’s foremost military musicians to a live global audience of millions.
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Irish Saffron
The Irish Saffron kilt, an iconic part of the Drums and Pipes uniform, is worn for special occasions and no occasion could be more special than an Irish Guards’ Troop coinciding with our Colonel in Chief’s Platinum Jubilee. Including the traditional Irish melodies ‘John Ryan’s Polka’, ‘I’ll tell me Ma’, ‘If you’re Irish, come into the parlour’, and ‘Blarney pilgrim’, Adam’s ‘Irish Saffron’ was written as an upbeat Irish celebration of the culmination of the Queen’s Birthday Parade and the start of the Platinum Jubilee weekend. Written for Massed Bands with Pipe’s and Drums, it premiered to a live worldwide audience.
Bob’s Own
The Irish Guards' first honorary Colonel of the Regiment was Field Marshal Lord Roberts VC, known by the Guardsman as "Bobs”; the regiment soon gained the nickname "Bob's Own”. Using the traditional lilting Irish melodies of ‘Erin shore’, which tells of the beauty of the island of Ireland, and ‘When Irish Eyes are smiling’, describing the soul of the Irish people; Adam’s slow march, which includes the iconic bagpipes, looks back with fond memories to our forebears; on who’s shoulders the future of Bob’s Own - the Irish Guards Regiment - continues to be proudly built.