Band of the Irish Guards Perform at Van Wezel Arts Hall, 3/21

The grandeur, pomp and pageantry of the British Empire come to Sarasota on Sunday, Mar. 21at 7 p.m. when the Band of the Irish Guards joins with the pipes and drums of the Royal Regiment of Scotland for a spirit-soaring evening of marches, ballads and folk songs. A special Pre-Show event will be presented on stage at 6:15 p.m. by The Mighty Sarasota Military Academy Drum Line.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. show at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall are $35-$50 (with a limited number of "smart seats" at $10).

The program, Hands Across the Sea, features the music of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
The Irish Guards regiment was formed in 1900 by order of Queen Victoria in response to the courage shown by the Irish regiments during the Second Boer War of 1899-1902. For the first 14 years of its existence, the Irish Guards were stationed in the United Kingdom, performing ceremonial duties in London until the beginning of the First World War.

Members of the Irish Guards won six Victoria Crosses in both the First and Second World Wars.

The regiment has been stationed in many parts of the world since 1945, including a number of conflict zones. In 2003, it was deployed to Kuwait during the build-up to the Gulf War. In 2005, the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards became the first unit to be officially awardEd Battle honors for service in Iraq.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of two distinguishEd Scottish regiments which had been created during the reign of George III: the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders. One of the earliest actions of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders was the Battle of New Orleans in 1814, where they held their ground when many older regiments faltered. It was in the Crimea, however, that the 93rd first achieved outstanding fame. At the Alma, as part of the Highland Brigade, its soldiers fought with great distinction. Then at Balaklava on 25th October 1854, at the same time as the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Sutherland Highlanders stood alone against the might of the Russian Cavalry.
In 2006, the battalion became part of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, forming the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. Since 2002, the Battalion has served in Iraq, Bosnia, Belize and Kenya. It recently returned from Helmand Province in Afghanistan, where the Pipes and Drums were deployed as part of the Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) platoon, working closely with the United States Marine Corps. They are due to return to Helmand Province, Afghanistan this year.

This is the first time the Mighty Sarasota Military Academy Drum Line will perform on the Van Wezel Stage!

The program at the Van Wezel is sponsored by Wilde Lexus of Sarasota.

For more information and to buy tickets, contact the Van Wezel Box Office at 941- 953-3368 or log onto www.vanwezel.org. Dinner is available prior to most shows by Michael's on East at the Van Wezel by calling (941) 366-0007 or logging onto www.bestfood.com.

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