Spasskaya Tower military music festival highlights Moscow City Day.

MOSCOW, September 5 (Itar-Tass) -- A picturesque closing ceremony of
the 4th international military musical festival Spasskaya Tower on the Red
Square was a real present to the Muscovites on City Day. The performance
traditionally began with the Kremlin Chimes ringing at 8 p.m. Moscow time
on Sunday. About 1,500 military musicians from 14 countries in Europe,
Asia and America performed in the festival.
The Honour Cavalry Escort of the Russian Presidential Regiment, the
Presidential Orchestra and the Honour Guard Squadron were the first to
give performances. They always admire the spectators with a firm tread and
a perfect military bearing. The Russian Horn Orchestra played the
Preobrazhensky March, which is a famous Russian march composed in the time
of Peter the Great. At the very beginning of the theatrical performance
the spectators welcomed the parents of Norwegian servicemen, who arrived
in Moscow to enjoy the performance of their sons. The relatives of Russian
servicemen, who are about to complete their military service at the
Presidential Regiment Squadron, attended the festival.
The British Royal Artillery Orchestra, the Hellenic Air Force Band and
the Jordanian Military Orchestra, their colleagues from Pakistan, Mexico,
France, Ukraine, Italy, Belgium and other countries were in the limelight
of 'the musical battle' of military musical bands.
A magnificent Moscow Kremlin resembled of a perfect palace from
Hoffmann's Nutcracker in this evening. The image of this nice and
courageous hero was taken as a model for the symbol of the festival - a
porcelain grenadier trumpet player. An honorary guest of the holiday and a
world renowned Russian painter and sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin has made a
statue of the festival symbol on the special order from the Imperial
Porcelain Factory of St. Petersburg.
A famous Spasskaya Tower, which gave the name to the traditional
Moscow festival of the best world military musical companies, received
this name in 1658 in honour of the Smolenskaya Icon on of Christ the
Saviour, placed above the tower gates.
The fourth festival Spasskaya Tower, which began on the Red Square on
August 31, showed the best military traditions of Russia and other
countries. Thanks to the festival the spectators had a unique opportunity
to watch the Honour Guards of various heads of state. The world classical
music, folklore melodies, jazz, modern pop music, bright dress coats, an
illumination and pyrotechnical show, gunfire salute and wonderful
fireworks combined harmonically in an exciting show. The stands were full
to capacity. Many people came with all members of their families. The
adults enjoyed the show like children. The spectators thanked the
musicians with loud applauses.
The riders of the Kremlin Equestrian Riding School staged the Riviving
Traditions program at a special riding ring on the Red Square. They
attracted people with high trick riding. Foreign participants in the
festival gave a concert at the Kolomenskoye open-air museum. An honorary
guest of the festival a famous French singer Mireille Mathieu again
enchanted Moscow music lovers at the festival. All guests of the festival
could taste an aromatic coffee named Spasskaya Tower and made by the
leading world barista especially for the festival.
The Spasskaya Tower festival is held since 2009 and is one of the
highlights in the cultural life in Moscow and Russia.