Pomp, Pageantry and Parade

Marching to a different beat

Courtney Pine talks to the Guards bandsmen who play at events like Trooping the Colour, former head of the Army General Sir Mike Jackson, and to young musicians planning to join up.

Their enthusiasm and the quality of the music they create is undeniable. But Guardian analyst Simon Jenkins argues that state ceremonial could be done just as well by civilians and that £100m a year for military music is "a ludicrous sum".

Producer: Llinus Jones
A Terrier Radio production for BBC Radio 4.