Reviewed by Stephen Luff

Apart from riding on black horses, The Band Of The Welsh Guards are unusual in that it has almost three dozen musicians, including many soloists, and most play two instruments! This album presents a very diverse repertoire, ranging from original material to songs often heard on similar releases. The original opening track "Where Eagles Sing" is a majestic piece written after composer Paul Lovatt-Cooper visited a bird sanctuary. "Swingtime Religion" is a great traditional swing time number that gets the feet moving with ease! A similar track, but sounding more like an introduction to a '70s TV adventure, is Mackereth's enjoyable "Dance Like David". Where I found the album a little irritating was the move into tracks like "Christmas Joy" featuring "Jingle Bells" and "Here We Come a-wassailing" (not tracks I would place under praise!) alongside the more suitable "Joy To The World". The rather plodding "Yuletide Rag" also features "Deck The Halls", although the pace does improve as the track goes on. "I Vow To Thee My Country" (Holst) was also uninspiring to these ears - there are much more uplifting versions out there. The title track does, however, finish the album well with its strident marching pace. This album is great in places but is let down by some poor track inclusions.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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