ARMED FORCES OF MALTA BAND PARTICIPATES IN MILITARY BANDS? FESTIVAL IN GERMANY

ARMED FORCES OF MALTA BAND PARTICIPATES IN MILITARY BANDS' FESTIVAL IN GERMANY

The Band of the Armed Forces of Malta has recently participated in a Military Bands' Festival in Bremen Germany, the "Musikschau der Nationen 2000". The festival, which is not a competitive one, is organized annually by the German War Graves Commission with the principal aim of raising funds for the upkeep of German Graveyards all over the world. This year's festival, was the 36^thedition, and was held in the city hall, Stadthalle Bremen between the 03 and 06 February 2000.

Prior to the AFM Band's invitation being made, the Honorable Dr Thomas Stocker, Consul for Malta in Bremen, came over to Malta together with members of the organizing committee in December 1998, to watch a band display to ensure that the band met the required standards.

Bands and Military Dance Teams from nine countries participated in this festival which attracted more than thirty five thousand spectators during the seven performances held over the four day period.

The participants of the 36th Musikschau der Nationen 2000 were:

The Bahrain Police Band (Bahrain)

The Band, Chorus and Dance Team, from the Army of the Republic of Belarus (Republic of Belarus)

The Military Orchestra of the Chinese Peoples' Army (China)

La Musique du Commandement Militaire d'lle de France et du 8 Regiment de Transmissions (France)

Gebirgsmusikkorps 8 und Gebirgsschutzenkompanien Garmisch und Partenkirchen (Germany)

Koninklijke Militaire Kapel (Holland)

The Band of the Armed Forces of Malta (Malta)

The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas (United Kingdom)

The Band of the Dragoon Guards and the Pipes and Drums of the Queens Royal Hussars (United Kingdom)

The US Army Band Europe and The US Army Europe Chor (United States)

The first performance was held on Thursday, 03^rd February 2000 at 0730p.m. Two performances were held each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 0300p.m. and 0730p.m. Each performance lasted three and half hours and kicked off with a March for Brass Bands where musicians from each band were chosen for this grand opening. Seventeen AFM Band personnel were amongst the selected bandsmen to perform in this episode which was directed by Major Michael Euler, Bandmaster of the German Army participating Band.

The AFM Band was the first to give an eleven-minute display out of the nine participating bands. The AFM Band was made up of Bandmaster Captain George Debono and forty-two musicians including Trumpet Major Lino Pace. During the display, the Maltese composition "L-Imnarja" composed by Mro Carmelo Pace ans arranged for the AFM Band by Captain A Chircop (retd.,) was played together with Marche' Lorraine, Under the Double Eagle, The Middy March and The Territorial Army.

The first part of the festival came to an end with the "Orchester der Nationen"-(the Orchestra of the Nations) which again was made up of selected bandsmen from all participating bands, and again seventeen were selected from the AFM Band. A retired German officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hermann Goldbeck, conducted it.

Each performance ended with a spectacular finale where all participating bandsmen, totaling slightly over four hundred, playing together as Massed Bands.

The Ambassador for Malta in Germany Mr William C Spiteri and Dr Thomas Stocker the Honorable Consul for Malta in Bremen were present for a show for VIP's on Friday evening. The Ambassador met the Band members during the intermission and congratulated them for their excellent performance. He said that he had very favourable comments on the AFM Band. Dr Stocker also found time to speak to the Maltese soldiers on various occasions during their stay.

On Friday, 04February 2000, Captain George Debono and Captain Martin Sammut, the AFM Band's secretary, together with all officers at the festival, participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial monument at the cemetery of Osterholz. They were also invited by the President of the Bremen Parliament for a reception at the House of Parliament, followed by a lunch at Scharnhorst Barracks hosted by Colonel Von Grone, Commanding Officer of VBKZO, the unit responsible for the logistic support in this festival.

The festival was filmed and will be shown on the German TV channel N3 (Signal 12.3dB S/N)on the 19^th March 2000, at 0815p.m.