The Regimental Music of The King’s Royal Hussars

Regimental music is an emotive subject close to the hearts of all ranks of the Regiment.  Every Regiment in the British Army has built-up over the years a fine tradition of military music.  Most regimental music has a historically relevant background and is easily identifiable, an excellent example of this being ‘The British Grenadiers’.  This short sharp tune is known by all and the title leaves the listener in no doubt as to its Regiment of origin.

The choice of music for The King’s Royal Hussars was an unenviable task.  Both The Royal Hussars (PWO) and The 14th/20th King’s Hussars boasted some very well known and loved music relevant to each Regiment, particularly their respective Quick and Slow marches.

The Spirit of the Regiment

As far as the Army is concerned, The Regimental Quick March is the most important piece of Regimental music.  It embodies the spirit of the Regiment and should have regimental relevance.  The two existing Quick Marches were ‘The Merry Month of May’ used as The Royal Hussars Quick March but originating from The 10th Hussars; and ‘The Royal Sussex Regiment’, used as the 14th/20th King’s Hussars Quick March since a bout of band drunkenness in the late 18th Century.  It thus became a lasting reminder that the 35th Regiment of Foot (later the Royal Sussex Regiment) covered the Band’s duties whilst they were temporarily incapacitated!

The Slow Marches also had fine traditions on both sides.  The Royal Hussars Slow March ‘Coburg’, a tune composed by Haydn and arranged by Grant-James in the late 19th Century, is without doubt one of the most well-known and famous Slow Marches to be written.  ‘The Eagle’, which itself is a combination of the 14th and 20th Hussars slow marches is also a very strong march, but not widely known outside 14th/20th King’s Hussars’ circles.

A Sharp Pair of Scissors and a Pot of Glue

The problem was to provide The King’s Royal Hussars with music acceptable to all members of the new Regiment, whilst retaining the spirit of both former Regiments.  The first task was thankfully quite straightforward the Regimental Trumpet Call.

With a sharp pair of scissors and a plot of glue, it was possible to take the first half of The Royal Hussars’ Call and the second half of the 14th/20th King’s Hussars’ Call.  With very minor alteration to the actual notes, a new and exciting call was, devised.  If you listen carefully you will notice that the following words fit quite nicely:

“Hu-ssar, Hu-ssar, The King’s Royal Hu-ssars are we!”

So we now have an easy to remember Trumpet Call, born out of its two parent calls, but with a character all of its own.  Next, attention was turned to the Slow and Quick Marches.  As they stood, the Slow Marches could not conceivably be merged into a single Regimental Slow March.  Therefore, at an early stage it was decided that ‘Coburg’ would remain unaltered as the Regimental Slow March.  ‘The Eagle’, with its title so pertinent to the new Regiment, will, not, however be lost.  In a shortened format it has now been accepted as the Regimental General Salute, to be used on all Regimental Parades, instead of the more commonly used ‘Cavalry Brigade’.

Similar problems were encountered with the two Quick marches.  It was therefore decided that a march for the new Regiment should be written which owed its existence to the two former Regiments, yet, was different enough to be readily identifiable as the Regimental Quick March of The King’s Royal Hussars.  The key to the new march was selected as E Flat Major, thereby enabling the Cavalry Trumpet to take an integral part in the new march.  The March opens with a bold statement of the Regimental Trumpet Call played in unison with the band.  The remainder of the March uses material from both previous marches woven together to give a traditional cavalry feel.  After much midnight oil was burned, the March was finally finished.  The balance was obviously about right as both Band Presidents of the RH and 14/20H were convinced that it was their own march, on hearing it for the first time!  The Regimental Trustees met and agreed the proposals, and on Amalgamation Day the marches were given their first airing:

Regimental Music of The King’s Royal Hussars

Regimental Hymns

Regimental Hymns used to be played every Thursday afternoon at 1600hrs when the Regiment had a band; this was a tradition dating back to when the 10th Hussars served in Ireland in the mid nineteenth century. Colonel Valentine Baker, who commanded the 10th from the 30th March 1860 to the 26th March 1873, started the hymns to encourage pride in the Regiment at a particularly difficult time. The Fenian agents said that the 10th Hussars were impossible to corrupt because of the high standards of of the Regiment’s soldiers; they were said to be picked men.

The Regimental Hymns of The King’s Royal Hussars are:

As Pants the Hart for Cooling Stream and Thy Will Be Done (Wilson and Troyte)