Review: The Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo

Published on Thursday 4 August 2011 15:43

The Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo ****

BICYCLE-propelled brass bands, a Royal Navy rescue mission and dazzling Highland dancers are just some of the many highlights of this year's Edinburgh Tattoo.

Nearly 9000 spectators packed into a new 16 million amphitheatre on the Castle Esplanade to christen the Aberdeen-built stands that inspired one of the key themes of this year's showcase, the triumph of Scottish engineering.

The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards kicked off the extravaganza, emerging from the smokey castle drawbridge to usher in a mass ensemble of bandsmen, which included the well-received Royal Gurkha Rifles.

A rousing musical tribute was paid to the Royal British Legion Scotland, celebrating its 90th anniversary, before the stirring anthems gave way to a bizarre bicycle-mounted brass section, who circled the area in perfect formation without missing a beat.

Dressed in First World War military garb, the Fanfare Band of The Royal Netherlands Army Mounted Regiments comically negotiated the throngs of ground-level photographers - one particular snare-drummer steering entirely with his elbows - to create some heart-stopping moments with the (possibly deliberate) threat of frequent near-collisions.

But a flavour of Rio helped to ease any residual tension, with the samba beats of the Brazilian Marine Corps Martial Band conjuring a carnival atmosphere as the bandsmen precision-marched a formation to spell out Tattoo followed by the shape of an anchor - introducing the second theme of the night, Of The Sea.

Two Royal Navy commands then competed to transport a field gun and its equipment across the esplanade in the quickest time before The Royal Navy Counter Piracy Patrol mocked up a pulse-racing rescue of captives from a pirate ship.

A helicopter was projected against the castle ramparts and 'deployed' an armed force to capture the pirates and release the prisoners.

Later, a 60-strong Highland dance company - with a debut from the West Ulster Total Dance Group - choreographed a performance evoking the spirit of Scotland's fishing industry, which synchronised the music of the Gaels with the sound of the pipes.

The 900-strong cast massed together for a moving finale where they performed the National Anthem and Auld Lang Syne, against the castle backdrop illuminated with a lion rampant.