PRINCE'S MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 43, 20 February 1935, Page 5

PRINCE'S MUSIC.

. | HIS BAGPIPE MARCH. | GUARDS TO PLAY IT. JUBILEE CELEBRATION ITEM. I (Special.—By Air Mail.) LONDON, February 2. Visitors to London for tho Royal Jubilee celebrations in May will have several opportunities of hearing the slow march for bagpipes composed by the Prince of Wales. It will be played at various functions by the Scots C4uards' pipe band, to whom the Prince has presented the score, written in his own hand. It is the Duke of Kent who has always been regarded as the most musical of the Royal brothers, so that everyone was surprised when news leaked out that the Prince of Wales had been trying his hand as a composer. Originally, the Prince had no intention that anyone but himself ehould play the march. He has been taking lessons in bagpipe playing at St. James' Palace, and to help himself m these studies ho composed a march specially for the pipes. That it was a purely personal effort, never intended for strangers' eyes or ears, may be judged from the fact that the Prince entitled it "Majorca" ("Mallorca" in Spanish), in memory of his summer holidays on that Mediterranean island last year. But Pipe-major Henry Forsyth, who is piper to the King, and under whose i tuition the Prince has been studying "the bagpipes, was so impressed by the march that he persuaded his pupil to five it to a wider public. The Prince still thought his effort too amateurish Ito acknowledge. He sent the score to the Scots Guards anonymously, without any hint of its authorship.

The Scots Guards pipers were just us enthusiastic as the Prince's tutor. They decided to add the new march to their repertoire, and immediately began practising it. Only then did the Prince consent C to "own up" and acknowledge his woxk*

London Scots were the first to hear the Prince's work publicly performed. It was played as a surprise item at the Burns Night dinner on the evening after its authorship was revealed.

"A nice piece of music altogether" is the verdict of one of the Scots pipemajors who is rehearsing his band for the Jubilee festivities. "It has a strong beat and a good rhythm. It will certainly be a popular piece at military functions. As it is a slow march it cannot, of course, be played to a battalion on the move. It is suitable for playing indoors or on paradev It can well be included in any programme on State occasions or at garden parties or at military or civilian festivals."

Another pipe-major added: "The Prince has obviously spent a great deal of time and trouble over it and has produced a really fine piece of pipe music. And, mind you, pipe music is not easy to write."