UK school band on summer tour

The UK's Royal Hospital School Band will be treating the Maltese to a blend of varied tunes when they tour the island over the coming days.

The band will play at Luqa on Friday, at 7.45 p.m., St Paul's Bay on Saturday, at 9 p.m. and Naxxar, on July 13 at 8 p.m.

The band is composed of 39 members aged between 16 - 17, who play a range of musical instruments under the direction of Roger Jones, ex-Royal Marines Corps Bandmaster.

Their music can be termed as light, classical and popular and while fulfilling its primary commitment as a marching band for school divisions, ceremonial occasions and giving marching displays throughout the East Anglian region, the Royal Hospital School ensemble has developed into a concert band as well.

In 1994, the band and the School Ceremonial Guard performed in the presence of the Queen for the Ceremonial Review at the National Maritime Museum, London, midway between displays at the Royal Tournament, Earls Court London in 1993 and 1996.

Throughout its concerts in Malta, the band, which has already been on tour in the Netherlands, France, South Africa and Canada, will be playing music from popular films and television themes, compositions from Lennon and McCartney, Sousa and Rodgers & Hammerstein. A display by the corps of drums will also be included.