Sunday, Jan 30, 2005
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By Our Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI, JAN. 29. A new chapter was added to the glorious history of India's martial music as the military massed bands played indigenously composed tunes instead of borrowed foreign ones at the Beating Retreat ceremony today which brought the curtains down on the Republic Day celebrations here in the Capital. Performing at the Vijay Chowk before the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a total of 35 bands comprising 15 military bands, 18 pipe and drum bands and one band each from Indian Air Force and Indian Navy played a number of Indian tunes. The hour-long ceremony, which commemorates the centuries-old military tradition of soldiers being recalled to the camp at sunset and creates a mood of nostalgia for the times gone by, was also attended by the Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, the three Service Chief and the chairperson of UPA and Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. The ceremony began in the majestic setting of Vijay Chowk with fanfare by buglers and then the massed bands trooped in playing "Sam Bahadur'' to a quick march. As the gathering began to savour the sight of the North and South Block, where caparisoned camels stood still and buglers and men in traditional uniform occupied various levels, the Pipes and Drums moved in to a quick march on "Deshon ka Sartaj". They played five more tunes before making way for the Navy and Air Force Bands. These bands, which brought with them a streak of blue through their uniforms, came in with fanfare on "Winged Warriors'' and then presented a quick march on "Tiger Hill''. Three other compositions followed before the audience sat up as the "Nautical Gallop'' was performed. The different style of music caught the fancy of all and the presentation was widely appreciated. As the Navy and Air Force Bands performed the exit march on "Hands Across the Sea'', it was time for the Military Bands to make an announcement. And playing six tunes based on Indian melodies and not even a single western one, the Military Bands played morale-boosting compositions like "The Great Ashoka'', "Veer Kargil'', "Bharat Shakti'' and "Giriraj'', which made its maiden appearance at the ceremony today. The highlight of the performance by the military bands however was "Siki Amo Le'', a Ladakhi folk tune composed by L.B. Gurung, which created a nostalgic mood by picturing the snow-capped peaks through playing of bugles by buglers standing atop the North Block tower. The massed band then returned through a quick march on "Sher-e-Jawan" and then the drummers created waves and ripples while playing "On the Snare Drums''. And then came the lilting hymn, "Abide with Me'', composed by W.H. Monk, wherein the bells tolled on the towers and wowed the audience. Thereafter, the National Tricolour was lowered by Buglers which this time also saw some sounding their bugles atop the nearby Rail Bhavan building to provide a different acoustic effect.
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