THE BIGGEST performance of their lives awaits music-loving army cadets from Rugby who will perform in front of thousands of people at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday April 14.
A group of 25 teenagers, who are part of the Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone and Northfield detachments of the Warwickshire & West Midlands Army Cadet Force, have been invited to perform at the stadium for the Wasps v Worcester Warriors rugby match.
The teens, members of the Army Cadet Force’s Corps of Drums, will perform a version of World in Union at pitch-side before kick-off, armed with flutes, piccolos and side drums.
They will also perform The Great Escape at half time, and will play a selection of tunes in the Wasps Fan Village before and after the match.
Shaun Hayward, 27, is the County Drum Major for the group, which rehearses fortnightly at the Rugby Army Reserve Centre on Edward Street.
He said: “I’ve been a member of the ACF since I was 12 years old and this is by far the biggest event that the County Corps of Drums will have played in their history.
“Our members put a lot of effort into their music rehearsals but rarely get the chance to show the general public what they can do, so this is a golden opportunity for them – and it provides us with a chance to raise our profile and recruit new members too.
“We can play at events ranging from weddings and parties to carnivals and sports matches, which has potential to help us generate some donations. At the minute the group is self-funded – and when, for example, a flute costs £120, it is hard work.”
Wasps are supporting the Cadets by dedicating the match to military services, and will hold bucket collections for the club’s charity partner SSAFA, which provides lifelong care to those who have served in the British Armed Forces.
The club’s event and match day marketing manager Verity Brown said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to the armed forces and all of those associated to them, so a military-themed match day is the least we can do.
“Hopefully the day will enable the Cadets to attract some new recruits and extra bookings, while providing additional funds for our charity partner SSAFA who do some life-changing work locally.”
The Army Cadet Force is a voluntary youth organisation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and provides activities for 12 to 18-year-olds that replicates values and standards of the army.
Visit www.armycadets.com/county/warwickshire-and-west-midlands-south-acf for more information.
