Their soul-stirring music reaches out to the masses as they play in rousing harmony

Every Sunday evening they're at any one of Pune's various public gardens. Dressed in their crisp ceremonial uniforms, and playing stirring martial tunes, the military bands of the BEG (Bombay Engineering Group) have cast a spell on young and old alike. Drums and bagpipes, trumpets and saxophones, make moving music, quite unlike anything you've heard before. Whether it is a brisk marching tune like the 'Mac & Mac', or the sweet melodious hymn 'Abide With Me', whether it is the foot tapping 'Gypsy Dance' or the lilting tunes of 'Sound of Music', they always hold their audience mesmerised. Over the years, they have also added many Indian ragas and light music to their repertoire. As for the patriotic 'Kadam kadam badaye ja', 'Aye mere watan ke logon' and the recently composed 'Quick March: Guns of Kargil' - they leave listeners moist-eyed.

For these men in uniform, practice is a daily rigorous affair wherein they blend music, discipline and performance to perfection. It is as important that there is not a note out of tune as not a step out of place. As soldiers they march, as musicians they play on their instruments and as performers they execute intricate movements - and every bit of it perfectly synchronized.

It is strange, but battle and music have traditionally gone together. Regimental bands have inspired troops to greater heroic feats, their beating drums have awed enemy armies, and their songs recounting deeds of valour have touched the hearts of many. Lately, with the changing ethos of warfare, the role of the military bands has shifted from the warfront, and they now play more at ceremonial and official functions.

Major S. Gokhale and Major Swamy, the Officers-in-charge of the bands provide a wealth of information. The Bombay Sappers has two bands - the Pipe Band and the Brass Band. The Brass Band is part of a 200-year-old tradition; while the Pipe Band was raised about 56 years ago. The former is so called because of its many brass instruments. With 32 in a band, the overall effect can be awesome. The 15-player Pipe Band consists of drummers and pipers. The bagpipe, with its origins in the Highlands of Scotland, has been wonderfully adapted even to Indian tunes. While they don't don Scottish kilts, flowing shawls in Tartan checks of deep blue and red (their regimental colours) add an imposing effect. Also in blue and red are the drums, while the main bass drummer wears a regal tiger skin (a synthetic replica). Inscribed on his drum is the regimental crest, as well as the battle honours received by the regiment. Bandmasters Subedar Roop Singh and Company Havildar Major Ganesh Kadu also display these honours in the intricately embroidered broad sashes across their shoulders.

Both recount how they started as raw recruits, the former 25 years ago, and the latter 22 years ago. Like most before them and the juniors in the band now, neither knew to play even a single instrument before joining the Army. "The band gives us a wonderful platform," they say. "We are lucky, because we get a chance to travel extensively all over the country. How else would we have had a chance to see the Wagah border or perform at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Abdul Kalam personally came down to felicitate us," they say with pride.

The two bands have performed at various prestigious national and international functions all over the country. In 1997, they were also part of a team of 4,459 musicians from the Indian Armed Forces, which entered the Guinness Book of Records for forming the largest military band under one conductor.

We in Pune are indeed lucky to be able to tune in every Sunday to these marching men of music!

Mita Banerjee