Regimental Music

THE REGIMENTAL QUICK MARCH

The Regimental Quick march is a combination of two tunes from the Quick marches of The Queen's Own Hussars and the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. It begins with the Regimental call of the Queen's Royal Hussars and proceeds into the first theme, "Light Cavalry", the former Quick march of The Queen's Own Hussars. The Overture Light Cavalry was composed by Franz Von Suppe in 1866 and was adopted as the quick march of The Queen's Own Hussars upon their formation in 1958. The march's second theme is Galloping 8th Hussars. This is believed to be an old Cavalry canteen song of the 1890's, the words have reputedly been written by a squadron Sergeant Major of the Regiment, JR Thomas. It was arranged by Bandmaster EP Courtnell of the 8th Hussars in 1926 and formerly adopted as part of the Regimental Quick march of the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars upon their formation in 1958. The song words are as follows:

I'm a soldier in the Queen's Army,

I'm a galloping Queen's Hussar,

I've sailed the ocean wide and blue,

I'm a chap who knows a thing or two,

Been in many a tight corner,

Shown the enemy who we are,

I can ride a horse, Go on a spree,

Or sing a comic song,

And that denotes a Queen's Hussar.

The final musical stanza contains a tenor counte-melody taken from the second half of the Light Cavalry, the entire march being arranged by the Bandmaster, DW Cresswell for the Regiments formation in 1993.

REGIMENTAL SLOW MARCHES

The motto of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was "Pristinae Virtutis Memores" - mindful of former valour. It is fitting therefore that the Regiment continues links with it illustrious history by maintenance of the four slow marches of the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th Hussars.

THE 3RD KINGS OWN HUSSARS SLOW MARCH

Along with all the other Cavalry slow marches it was officially published in 1903, though it had already been in use as the mounted march part of the Regiment since at least the 1880's it bears no other title than "The 3rd Hussars Slow March"

LORETTO

The Regimental slow march of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars

The "Litany of Loretto" - a solemn litany in honour of the Virgin Mary - dates from the 13th century and is much sung in Italy. It has it's own plain song melody and Palestrina composed many settings of it as did many other composers including Mozart, in 1890, whilst on holiday in Italy. The Commanding Officer of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars was present when several of these settings were sung. Colonel Brabazon obtained a manuscript copy of these melodies and later commissioned Bandmaster Davies to arrange them as a suitable slow march for Regimental use. This was done and along with all the other Cavalry slow marches, it was officially published in January 1903, it became known in the Regiment under the title of "LORETTO". The transcript was not considered ideal for performance by a mounted band, but the imperfections were rectified in 1932 by Bandmaster Jones. This revised version - a tone higher than the original publication - was officially published the same year.

THE GARB OF OLD GAUL

The Regimental slow march of the 7th Queen's Own Hussars

Raised in 1690, The Regiment was originally a Scots Regiment, and this fact accounts for the subsequent choice of "The Garb of Old Gaul" as a Regimental March. This fine Scottish song tune, which has done such good military service, was composed in 1770 by General John Reid, a former Officer in the Black Watch who became Colonel of the Connaught Rangers. In addition to becoming a distinguished soldier, Reid was a proficient flautist and an able composer and was so great a lover of music that he left his large fortune to Edinburgh University to found a chair of music

MARCH OF THE SCOTTISH ARCHERS

The Regimental Slow March of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars

The tune dates from about 1780. Along with all the other Cavalry slow marches it was officially published in 1903, though it had already been in use as the mounted march - past of the Regiment since at least the 1880's.

Music having connections with The Queen's Royal Hussars

THE DETTINGEN MARCH GENERAL BLAND'S INSPECTION MARCH

In 1920 a manuscript copy of a march written to commemorate the battle of Dettingen and the magnificent part played by the 3rd Regiment of Dragoons was discovered in Dublin Museum. It is believed to have been composed by a daughter of General Bland in 1745 when he was in command of the Regiment.

From a copy of the manuscript an arrangement of the march was made and it was adopted as the Regimental inspection march. It was found that in itself it was too short, and so the trio of the Regimental slow march was added to it, the whole becoming known as "General Bland's Inspection March".

GOD BLESS THE PRINCE OF WALES

Several Regiments other than those with formal connections with Wales include this tune in their Regimental Music for various reasons, some well known some obscure. In 1863 the 3rd Hussars were in Edinburgh when the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra arrived in the City. The Regiment had the honour of guarding the route from the station to the hotel where the Prince and Princess stayed the night and performing a similar function the following day. It is probably this occasion that the tradition of playing God Bless the Prince of Wales on Mess Dinner Nights was instituted.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

The first eight bars of God Bless the Prince of Wales are played preceding the National Anthem which is played in a different key, both of which are ignored by Officers on Regimental Dinner nights. This tradition has been reaffirmed by Her Majesty the Queen prior to Amalgamation in 1993.

ENCORE

The Regimental trot of the 7th Queen's Own Hussars.

It was adopted soon after the Regiment returned to England in 1898. The original trot of the Regiment was "Monymusk" and there was a reason for a change of tune. At Aldershot it was found that several other cavalry Regiments stationed there at that time trotted past to "Monymusk" and so the 7th Hussars decided to abandon it in favour of "Encore". The origins of the tune "Encore" are unknown. It was a popular tune in Victorian and Edwardian ballrooms, being used as an Encore to the Quadrille or the lances, and hence, presumably, it's name.

BONNIE DUNDEE

The Canter-Gallop of The 3rd King's Own Hussars.

Another tune adopted by the 3rd Hussars having connections with Scotland. The original poem is by Sir Walter Scott, written for his play "The Doom of Devorgoil" in 1830. The poem refers to Viscount Dundee and not the town. The tunes origins can be traced to the beggars Opera in the early 18th Century, but the version Scott had in mind when writing the words is a traditional melody known at the time as the "Jockeys Deliverance".