The Great Escape (Elmer Bernstein)

At the 2012 Ceremony of Beating Retreat on Horse Guards Parade in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Massed Corps of Drums - comprising: First Battalion Coldstream Guards, First Battalion Irish Guards, and the Second Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment - were joined by the Massed Foot Guards Bands for a performance of, "The Great Escape". Elmer Bernstein's well known and highly popular theme music was conducted and adapted by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Barnwell (Senior Director of Music Household Division and Director of Music Band of the Welsh Guards).

It is interesting to note how far the so called modern "High Pitched" Flutes have to pull out in order to be able to be accompanied by the bands. These are 3-piece flutes. The very latest 2-piece flutes cannot be tuned to these extremes, unlike their predecessors, the original 2-piece "low pitched" instruments, which required very little adjustment to play at 440, or 442 pitch.

The introduction of a Concert Pitch chanter has solved this particular problem for the Bagpipes.