Crete International Tattoo 2011
In 2011, the band travelled to Crete for in the inaugural Crete International Tattoo, which was the central event that year of the Mediterranean Festival of Arts.
The Festival was held to promote the importance of Crete as an international cultural centre. It ran from 21st September to 5th October, simultaneously in different cities on the island. Besides the Tattoo itself, the Festival featured prestigious artists and performers from 15 countries. It included:
-
the Russian State Ballet company's production of Le Corsaire by Adolphe Adam
-
displays by world gymnastic club champions Club Piruett of Estonia
-
concerts with West End musical theatre star Peter Karrie, accompanied by Symphonic Brass Wales & Just Harrie
-
the first ever performance on the island of the Mozart opera Idomeneo (Re di Creta - King of Crete)
-
recitals by leading medieval and renaissance artists Jordi, Trio Mediterrae & the Volkonsky Consort
-
jazz & blues events by American artists
-
Cretan traditional folk music and dance performances
-
a Ballet Gala at the historic Fortezza in Rethymno
-
the first concert ever staged in St Minas Cathedral, Heraklion
The Tattoo was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, which began on May 20, 1941 when Germany launched the first mainly airborne invasion in military history. Greek and Allied forces, along with Cretan civilians, defended the island in a battle that lasted ten days. Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Germans managed to fly in reinforcements and overwhelm the defenders.
The Tattoo was performed at venues in the cities of Hersonissos, Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos and Rethymnon. Four pipe bands (besides us, there were two bands from Canada and one from Scotland) were involved under the direction of Pipe Major Gordon Black. We thoroughly enjoyed his relaxed style and struck up a great friendship with his band, the Paris Port Dover Pipe Band. Craig Roberts, was the overall Director of Music for the event.
Our engagements also included a series of promotional street parades that were well received by the public. They were especially memorable because the routes invariably went through the oldest parts of the towns and cities in which we paraded. The quaint, stone streets with their ancient buildings had a unique atmosphere.
The band went to Crete in a private capacity but the Cretans treated us as if we were national representatives. The Deputy Governor of Crete personally welcomed us to the island, and we featured on Greek television while performing at a war memorial in Heraklion shortly after our arrival.
We took every opportunity to visit historic sites such as Byzantine churches, Venetian forts, and ancient villages in the countryside. The Palace of Knossos was particularly interesting. This impressive structure was the centre of the Minoan civilisation which lasted from about 2,600 BC to 1,100 BC. Today, it is perhaps better known to most people as the home of King Minos and the Minotaur.
The band spent a day visiting sites in the western part of the island where the New Zealand Division saw action during the Battle of Crete. We went to Maleme airfield and the nearby town of Chania where much of the fighting took place.
The band also held a formal wreath laying ceremony at the Suda Bay War Cemetery, the resting place of nearly 500 New Zealand soldiers killed during the Battle of Crete. The cemetery is located at the north-west corner of the bay and is surrounded by olive groves. It is a picturesque setting, very peaceful and tranquil. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission goes to great lengths to ensure that everything is immaculately maintained; the contrast between the lush, verdant vegetation in the cemetery and the brown, parched landscape beyond the boundary fence was very pronounced.
We were delighted to meet Dimitrios and his wife who lived and worked in a caravan called the ‘Kantina’ that was parked permanently at the front gate. Besides looking after nine stray dogs and probably twice that number of cats, they sold refreshments to visitors. Their son was also responsible for coordinating the maintenance of the Cemetery. Dimitrios was in his eighties and could remember the New Zealand soldiers during the War. Kiwi tourists always received an exceptionally warm welcome from this old gentleman and the opportunity to sample some of his splendid home-made raki, an alcoholic drink that he shared with us.
Our visit to the cemetery was an occasion of great poignancy that brought home to us the futility of war. It was sobering to walk among the gravestones of those long dead men, most only in their 20s. In a few cases, biographical notes were attached, but many graves were unnamed. Two pipers found graves belonging to relatives.
Tunes from the Tattoo
The band was grateful to its Cretan hosts for their hospitality. They accommodated us in luxurious resorts with excellent facilities, delicious food, and picturesque views of the Mediterranean. It was also a privilege to perform alongside such extraordinary talent from around the world. Crete has much to showcase: beautiful scenery, an ancient civilisation, marvellous architecture and an attractive national character. The Mediterranean Festival of Arts was a splendid way of presenting these assets to the world and of developing cultural connections with other countries.