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Republic Day. So perhaps the argument of brass, woodwind and percussion
that we don’t understand the meaning of instruments. Brass instruments include
the English words is irrelevant. The song is trumpets, cornets, bugles, trombones,
not sung. Dropping the tune from our list and tubas. The most commonly played
of tunes for Beating the Retreat is justifiable woodwind instruments include saxophones,
because of its foreign origins even though clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and piccolos.
it was only one of the four tunes played The Indian military bands include in
on Republic Day. This year that number their repertoire a large selection of foreign
has been reduced to three. Unfortunately tunes: Fanfare by Buglers, Sound Barrier,
it is not possible to shake-off our British Emblazoned, Twilight, Space Flight,
legacy completely. Beating the Retreat itself Drummers Call, Pipers Cave, Highland
is a military ceremony dated back to 17th Laddie, Sky Boat Song, The Marques of
century England and was first used to recall Huntley, Ocean’s Splendour and Nocturnal
nearby patrolling units to the castle. The Cry. To complete the Indianisation of the
ceremony itself is therefore common in all military band we might have to include a
the Commonwealth countries around the whole selection of Indian songs.
world. The other popular tunes that will be played
Abide With Me was written by Scottish at the ceremony, include, Kadam Kadam
Anglican Henry Francis Lyle as he was Badhaye Ja and Hind Ki Sena. There is
dying of tuberculosis. It is a prayer to God one essential difference through between
to stay with the speaker throughout life and Abide with me and ‘Ae Mere Watan ke
in death as well. The tune most often used logon’. The former is a petition to God, the
with the hymn is “Eventide’ composed by latter is a patriotic song written by Kavi
the English organist and church musician Pradeep to honour our soldiers. The song
William Henry Monk in 1861. was first performed in 1963 in the presence
of President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In fact Pandit
Nehru is known to have welled up with
emotion when the song was first performed
by Lata Mangeshkar. It commemorates the
Indian soldiers who died in the 1962 China-
India war.
Military music is unique. Most of it is
what may be called March music.They may
have come to us from the Ottoman Empire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first Marching songs are typically patriotic.
Beating the Retreat ceremony in 2015 saw There is a whole generation of music that
the use of non-traditional instruments like might be termed as military funeral music.
sitar, santoor and tabla which are non- These are global traditions and have nothing
military instruments and that drew some to do with any particular culture. For
criticism as well. However ,this too was example the Last Post is played at military
only an attempt at Indianisation. Military funerals. So when our Chief of Defence Staff
bands in the armed forces normally consists General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #32 | FEBRUARY 2022 41
