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I just wanted to tell a story about what happend at our concert tonight. I attend Albany State University in Ga and every spring we do a joint concert with the local marine band. The Marines went first and were phenomenal. Very good performance. We went on second. We played a piece named "The Unknown Solider" by Quincy C. Hilliard. Towards the end of the piece is a trumpet solo playing TAPS. And when he started playing all of the Marines in the audience stood at attention. I know this may not seem like much but it was enough to send chills down my spine and alomost bring a tear to my eye. I wa sjust wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them

I was lucky enough to be part of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo as part of the Ceremonial Guard Band of Canada. During the finale for act one, there is a poem being read about the trails and tribulations Canadian Soliders went through during the first world war. The Bands were playing music from the film Gettysburg. While this is happening, actors dressed in authentic world war one uniforms are marching through the band, every second soldier carrying a Canadian flag and another holding a torch.

After the world war one soldiers took their positions, current Canadian Force members wearing the Desert CADPAT and carrying Canadian flags/torches followed. Then, the visiting German Drill team march through carrying their flags and torches. Over the loudspeaker comes the worlds "Canadians and Germans serving together: Afghanistan 2008". And if that isn't enough to send chills down your spine, a sold out arena with 8,000 people stand up begin applauding. Very very moving.

Kory101 wrote:I was lucky enough to be part of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo as part of the Ceremonial Guard Band of Canada.

This brought back memories. (We are talking late 80's)

My memory of a moving gesture at the Nova Scotia Tattoo involves glow-sticks and neon condoms during the last performance. I was part of the Royal Air Command Band (Winnipeg). The finale was performed in the dark, and with black lights. All of the bands (American and Canadian) were on the arena floor for the last number. We marched into place in a pitch-black arena, following luminescent tape on the floor. (It was fun until a bagpiper nailed my new trombone in a countermarch.) Bandsmen taped glowsitcks to their instruments and drumsticks. The bagpipers put neon condoms on their chanter pipes. As the song progressed, the condoms filled up like baloons. Very big, very glow-in-the-dark, and very neon Very moving.

A seriously moving experience during the same show was the solo bagpipe playing the lyric theme from "New World Symphony." Match that with a huge band of professional musicians, and let the goosebumps fly. I am not ashamed to admit that in this setting, bagpipes became an instrument capable of bringing tears to a huge audience. A definite cut above an instrument originally created to strike fear in the hearts of the enemy.

Something like this happened during a National Guard Band concert I attended about a year ago. I don't quite remember the piece, but it had Taps in it. It was very moving. At first, one man, who was about 80 stood up and saluted. Then, one by one, everyone who was in the audience that was in the armed forces stood up and saluted. It was the most moving experience I have personally had while attending a concert.

Morrell wrote:I just wanted to tell a story about what happend at our concert tonight. I attend Albany State University in Ga and every spring we do a joint concert with the local marine band. The Marines went first and were phenomenal. Very good performance. We went on second. We played a piece named "The Unknown Solider" by Quincy C. Hilliard. Towards the end of the piece is a trumpet solo playing TAPS. And when he started playing all of the Marines in the audience stood at attention. I know this may not seem like much but it was enough to send chills down my spine and alomost bring a tear to my eye. I wa sjust wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them

While I don't doubt that you found it moving, military protocol dictates that Armed Forces members, whether in uniform or not, to come to attention (and salute if in uniform, place right hand over heart if not) when Taps is sounded at military funerals and military honors ceremonies, and when it is sounded in remembrance of those who have given their lives in the service of the country. (FYI, custom dictates that on such occasions, civilians stand and place their right hand over their hearts, as well.)