ERROR RG P4 6.10.1999 In Friday's Lifestyle story on the Regiment, Major Barritt Dill incorrectly named Major Kenneth Dill as the first Bermudian director of music for the Bermuda Regiment Band. Capt. Horace Gibbons was the first Bermudian director of music.

The Bermuda Regiment Band marched through merry ole England this summer captivating all with their precision drill and musical talent.

The two-week camp in the United Kingdom was the first time the Bermuda Regiment Band had played on British soil in 15 years and was hailed a tremendous success by all.

And director of music, Major Barritt Dill said the highlight of the 15-day tour was a special performance for the Regiment's first director of music, 97-year-old Major Laurie Dunn at his residence in West Sussex.

"The most memorable moment was when we played for Major Laurie Dunn MBE,'' he recalled. "He invited all of the town's folk to come out so we had quite a crowd on hand.

"He is still very sprightly and infinitely informed on world topics. He reacted very emotionally to the presentation given to him following the band's performance.'' Major Dunn, who led the band when the Bermuda Regiment was amalgamated in 1965, was presented with an engraved copy of the Bermuda Regiment March, which was composed for the Bermuda Regiment by Major Dunn in 1965. The engraving included an extra treat -- lyrics to the music written by current music director Major Dill.

"He still remembers quite a bit about Bermuda,'' noted Major Dill. "He remembers the first Bermudian music director Major Kenneth Dill and Lt. Col.

Michael Darling and Lt. Col. Eugene Raynor.

"There were also three members still in the band who played when Major Dunn left Bermuda in 1969.'' And the occasion provided Major Dunn with an opportunity to inspect the uniforms he helped redesign more than 30 years ago.

`He was partially responsible for selecting the Regiment's uniforms and he composed the Regiment's march -- we play it when we march into Warwick Camp,'' Major Dill explained. "It was the first time he had seen women playing in the band and women wearing the uniform he helped to design.'' In addition to serenading Major Dunn, the Band also paid a visit to Major Dill's alma-mater, the prestigious home of British military music -- the Royal Military College of Music, Kneller Hall in Twickenham, Middlesex.

"Another highlight was the Royal Military College of Music,'' he said. "All of the British directors of music and bandmasters attended.

"At the conclusion of the performance, a committee awarded us the mark of excellence. They were impressed with the movement of the instruments, our marching prowess and with the selection of music we chose -- it was a mixture of popular and traditional pieces.'' One member of the audience at the College of Music was so impressed with the band that an invitation was extended to the group to participate in the largest military tattoo in the world.

"The musical director of the Edinburgh Tattoo, Major Malcolm Torrent, was in attendance at the Royal Military College of Music and he very graciously extended a verbal invitation to the Bermuda Regiment Band to consider a performance at the Edinburgh Tattoo in the year 2000.

"The band is eagerly awaiting a formal invitation.'' When the band was not impressing the British public (the band was even featured on the BBC's evening news), they were practising their drill and fine-tuning their routine.

"We did quite a bit of training with the English army at the British Military School of Intelligence at Chicksands Barracks in Shefford, Bedfordshire,'' said Major Dill.

But the British sojourn was not all work -- the 40 musicians managed to sneak in a little rest and relaxation.

"We had two days of R&R,'' he said. "On the Thursday before Cup Match, we staged a mini Cup Match in England with Somerset playing St. George's.

"St. George's won by six runs.'' Major Dill said the group also played tourist during their days off, visiting all the major London attractions.

"The members enjoyed seeing all the cultural and historical aspects of London like the House of Commons and Royal Albert Hall.'' Ranked right up there with Gombeys, cod fish and potatoes and Cup Match as treasured Bermuda institutions, Major Dill said the band members dealt with their roles as Island ambassadors in a professional manner.

"Sometimes the reaction we get amazes us,'' he confessed. "The members treat each performance as another day in the office. There are no prima-donnas.

"But they are all very proud of what they do.'' And Major Dill said that upcoming tours-of-duty will take various Bermuda Regiment Band members to Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.

"We are looking forward to doing a trip to Jamaica next year to reacquaint ourselves with our friends in the Jamaican armed forces,'' he revealed. "And we are making contact with the Barbados Police Band with the view to either have them come here or we go down there.

"The fanfare team (the herald of trumpets) are heading off to Canada in October and then in November they go to France.

"We keep busy,'' he chuckled. "We're a part-time band on a full-time schedule.'' Special presentation: Director of music Major Barritt Dill presented the former director of music, Major Laurie Dunn with an engraved copy of the Bermuda Regimental March, which was composed by Major Dunn in 1965.

Designer and his models: Major Laurie Dunn helped to design the Regimental uniforms when the Regiment was amalgamated in 1965. This summer's special performance at his home in West Sussex was the first time Major Dunn had seen women perform in the band and wearing the uniform he designed more than 30 years ago.