First Russian Military Tattoo
International KREMLIN ZORIA Festival

13 – 16 September 2007
Red Square, Моscow

On 13-16 September 2007, with support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow’s Red Square welcomed the First International Kremlin Zoria Festival. It proved a huge success, bringing together an exceptionally strong cast of over 50 bands and groups from nine countries and five continents, i.e. Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, Russia and South Africa.

Russia was represented by her best military bands and other artistic forces, including the Central Band of the Ministry of Defence, the massed bands of the Moscow Garrison, the Cavalry Escort of Honour and Drill Team of the President’s Regiment, the President’s Band, the Kuban Cossack Choir and Nalmes Dance Company from Аdyghea. Especially for this occasion the brilliant historical uniform of the proudest regiment of the Russian Imperial Army, the Preobrazhensky Guards, was revived for the Central Band of the Ministry of Defence; this dress was worn by the Guards musicians in the reign of Emperor Nicholas I.

The Festival was the first ever of its kind in Russia, and was remarkable for a combination of many unique features.

The Band and Drill Team of the Danish Royal Guards performed in their full dress with red tunics by the special gracious permission of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.

Italy has never before been represented by three of her best groups of flag-wavers (sbandieratori) from Arezzo, Gubbio and Sansepolcro. They were clad in the attire of the fifteenth century, the very age when their compatriots built the walls, towers, cathedrals and palaces of the Moscow Kremlin.

A truly historic moment was the Red Square debut of the leading military musicians of Germany, the Music Corps of the Bundeswehr, playing old German marches. Just a short while ago this was simply inconceivable for obvious reasons linked with our recent past.

Probably the greatest ornament of the Zoria were the magnificent Massed Pipes and Drums, uniting as many as 350 musicians in 16 military, police and civilian bands from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, led by some of the most famous Scottish regiments.

The musical programme of the Festival was very impressive and varied. Apart from military genres proper, such as marches and signals, it comprised classical pieces by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Wagner, Strauss and Dvorak alongside folklore. For the first time traditional Russian tunes were arranged and played jointly by brass and woodwind with pipes and drums.

The Festival organizers made full use of the latest sound and light effects, LED, laser projections and fireworks. The principal square of Moscow and Russia was virtually converted into an immense music hall with surrounding sound devised by the British sound designer John Del Nero. The layout of L-shaped stands was another novelty, allowing some of the performers to march on through the Saviour’s Tower, the restricted VIP entrance to the Kremlin.

Festival shows were warmly applauded by capacity audiences of nearly 7,5 thousand every night, and widely covered by Russian and international media. Kremlin Zoria became a truly unforgettable pageant of military and musical culture in the broadest sense, blending various genres and national legacies. However, the Festival was not confined to Red Square. Apart from the general parade of all bands along the Russian capital’s main street, the Tverskaya, the participants also performed in many venues of the city center. The audience of the Festival included many guests of honour, particularly members of the Russian Government and distinguished visitors from abroad, such as His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim of Denmark. By general consent of our participants, colleagues and guests, from its very premiere the Kremlin Zoria became one of the greatest cultural events in the world. In his address to the participants and guests of the Festival President Putin expressed his hope “that this unique creative forum becomes a tradition, arousing great interest and wide public response, which will enable numerous audiences to admire the art of the world’s best musicians in the future”. The Festival was also warmly welcomed by Russian Minister of Defence Anatoly Serdiukov and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov.

Programme

  • Fanfare
  • Massed Military Bands of the Moscow Garrison:
    • Central Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defence
    • Rimsky-Korsakov Central Concert Navy Band
    • Staff Band of the Moscow Military District
    • Band of the Institute of Military Conductors, Military University of the Russian Ministry of Defence
    • Band of the Moscow Military Music School
    • Staff Band of the Special Command
    • Band of the Interior Forces, Russian Interior Ministry
    • Band of the Military University, Russian Ministry of Defence
    • Band of the Military Academy of the Russian Armed Forces
    • Band of Peter the Great Military Academy of Strategic Missile Forces
    • Band of Zhukovsky Air Force Engineer Academy
    • Band of Gagarin Air Force Academy
    • Band of the Military Technological University, Russian Ministry of Defence
    • Band of the Moscow Superior Military Command Institute
    • Band of the 147th Auto Base, Russian Ministry of Defence
    • Band of the 27th Sevastopol Brigade
  • Band and Drill Team of the Danish Royal Guards
  • Dancers of State Kuban Cossack Choir
  • State Nalmes Dance Company (Аdyghea)
  • Music Corps of the Bundeswehr (Federal Republic of Germany)
  • Cavalry Escort of Honour of the President’s Regiment and the President’s Band
  • Massed Pipes and Drums:
    • Great Britain
      • 1st Battalion Scots Guards
      • The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
      • The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
      • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons), 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
      • 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles
      • The Royal Air Force
      • The Royal Corps of Signals
      • Scottish Universities Officers Training Corps
    • Australia
      • Australian Federal Police
      • Western Australia Police
      • South Australian
      • The Rats of Tobruk
      • Ipswich Thistle
    • Canada
      • Canadian Forces
    • Republic of South Africa
      • Transvaal Scottish
    • New Zealand
      • Temuka
  • Italian Sbandieratori (Flagwavers) from Arezzo, Gubbio and Sansepolcro
  • Drill Team of the President’s Regiment and the President’s Band
  • Central Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defence
  • Finale

Music Programme

  • Fanfares – Attention
  • The Kremlin Zoria

Massed Military Bands of the Moscow Garrison

Conducted by Lt.Col. I. Shevernev

  • March of the Preobrazhensky Guards (fifes and drums)
  • The Hero
  • Fragment of “Vivat, Russia” Overture (B. Diyev)
  • Amur Waves Waltz (М. Kuess)
  • March of Naval Crew Guards
  • Drum Fiesta
  • Kant (V. Khalilov)

Band and Drill Team of the Danish Royal Guards

Leader Staff Sergeant Morten Stig Thurø

  • Jubilee Flourish (N. Henkel)
  • Slavonic Dance no. 8 (A. Dvořak)
  • Get out of the Way (C.M. Bellman)
  • The Brave Soldier (E. Horneman)
  • Drum Salute (N. Henkel)
  • Copenhagen March (A. Frederiksen)

Dancers of the State Kuban Cossack Choir

Folk dances and tunes of the Kuban Cossacks.

State Nalmes Dance Company (Аdyghea)

Folk dances and tunes of the Adyghe (Circassians) .

Music Corps of the Bundeswehr (Federal Republic of Germany)

Conducted by Colonel Dr. Michael Schramm and Lt.Col. Walter Ratzek

  • Preußens Gloria (Gottfried Piefke)
  • Pilgerchor from the "Tannhäuser" Overture (Richard Wagner)
  • Der alte Dessauer
  • Zapfenstreichmarsch

Cavalry Escort of Honour of the President’s Regiment and the President’s Band

Conducted by Lt.Col. Е. Nikitin and Lt.Col. D. Barsukov

  • Cavalry Signal “Trot”
  • March of the Izmailovsky Guards
  • Polka “Souvenir” (J. Strauss)
  • March of the Cavalier Guards (F.А. Boieldieu)
  • Cavalry Signal “Charge”
  • Escort March (D. Tukhmanov)

Massed Pipes and Drums

Supervised by Captain Stuart Samson, Director of British Army Bagpipe Music

  • March on:
    • Scotland the Brave
    • The Old Rustic Bridge
    • The Skye Boat Song
    • Mhairi’s Wedding
    • Dewar’s Spirit of the Tattoo
    • The Minstrel Boy
    • When You and I Were Young Maggie
  • Set:
    • The Royal Scots Polka
    • The Fair Swan
    • Itchy Fingers
    • Castle Rock Ceilidh
    • The Glasgow City Police Pipers
  • March Off:
    • Hot Punch
    • Cock o’ the North

Italian Sbandieratori (Flagwavers) from Arezzo, Gubbio and Sansepolcro

Medieval fanfares and drums

Drill Team of the President’s Regiment and the President’s Band

  • General March
  • March of the Preobrazhensky Guards
  • March “Paul” (D. Tukhmanov)

Central Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defence

Conducted by Colonel A. Kolotushkin

  • March of the Semionovsky Guards
  • March of the Baturin Regiment
  • Suvorov (V. Gurevich)

Finale

Conducted by Major General Valery Khalilov.

Massed Bands

  • Glory (М. Glinka)
  • Ode to Joy (L. van Beethoven)

Massed Pipes and Drums

  • The Bonnie Lass o’ Fyvie

Massed Bands and Pipes & Drums

  • Amazing Grace
  • A Young Cossack Wanders Along the Don
  • Stenka Razin
  • Shining Crescent
  • Prince Oleg Makes Ready

Massed Bands

  • The Grenadier
  • Reception March (D. Kadeyev)
  • National Anthem of Russia
  • Fragment of 1812 Overture (P. Tchaikovsky)
  • Russian Evening Zoria

Massed Pipes and Drums March Off

  • The Black Bear
  • Scotland the Brave

Massed Bands March Off

  • Farewell of the Slavic Woman (V. Аgapkin)