The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and The Band of the Coldstream Guards

A Night Filled With History and Tradition

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Coldstream Guards will take the stage on February 21 at the Frank Erwin Center. This unique event fuses together two musical traditions to bring the music of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales to Austin. Audiences will be moved by their grandeur and pageantry, and be inspired by their marches, classic anthems and ceremonial fanfares. They utilize a colorful assortment of instruments to produce sea song inspired medleys, bagpipe renditions and classic medleys, such as their chart-topping 1970’s “Amazing Grace” and very moving tribute to John Phillip Sousa.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards formed in 1971 and remain to this day as Scotland’s senior regiment and only regular cavalry. Their history affords them the honor of being the oldest surviving Calvary of the Line in the British Army. They were formed out of a union of two famous regiments, the 3rd Carabiniers and the Royal Scots Greys. In 1922, the 3rd Carabiniers were formed from the 3rd Dragoon Guards and the Carabiniers. Therefore, their history dates back to three ancient regiments. Interestingly, predecessors of the Royal Scots Greys were raised by King Charles II in 1678.

The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards originated as a small pipe band that united with The Royal Scots Greys in 1946. Most of their uniform was designed by King George VI, who granted them the privilege of wearing the Royal Stuart tartan, the personal tartan of Her Majesty the Queen. A tartan is a distinctive design worn by the members of a Scottish clan, and formed by textile patterns consisting of stripes of varying colors and widths that are crossed at right angles against a solid background. The bass drummer wears the distinctive white bearskin with a red plume, given to the Regiment by Tsar Nicholas the Second of Russia in 1894 when he became Colonel in Chief of The Royal Scots Greys. The horses that were once characteristic of the band have been replaced by tanks and other armored vehicles. These men are second to none. They are exceptional musicians, as well as being fully trained tank crew members.

The Band of the Coldstream Guards was formed in 1650 by General George Monck. In 1661, following the restoration of the monarchy, they were re-commissioned by King Charles II as household troops in the town of Coldstream, Scotland. The Band of The Coldstream Guards has been a British military music tradition for over two centuries making them the oldest military band in the world, including an appearance in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. The Band of the Coldstream Guards was the first band to visit North America when it traveled to Canada in 1903.

Please join us on February 21 at the Frank Erwin Center for the unique musical presentation of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Coldstream Guards.