Changing the Guard

Composer Notes... A March in the Patriotic style of Elgar and Walton, composed July 6th 1999. Dedicated to Peter Shepherd.

This piece was commissioned by the Charnwood Tourism Association, Loughborough, at the request of the Deputy Mayor, to celebrate the Millennium. In order to give the piece maximum publicity, it was decided to have a public competition to name the composition. The competition was won by Mrs Margaret Rivolta who chose the title “Millennium Bells 2000” . It was given its first performance on 23rd July 1999 by Peter Shepherd, in the presence of Mrs Rivolta and Councillor Ida Tranby, Deputy Mayor of Loughborough.

Loughborough had exclusive use of the composition for the year 2000. When that year was past and gone the composer decided to rename the composition “Changing the Guard” to reflect its martial nature. Interestingly one other piece had been commissioned for Loughborough, and that was “Memorial Chimes” by Sir Edward Elgar.