Regimental Marches

The first Regimental March of the Regiment was the British Grenadiers which was officially authorized in 1899 prior to that the Regiment played a number of its own pieces.

“The Coldstream March — Mialnollo”

The tune of “Milanollo” was written by the 19th Century German composer Johann Valentine Hamm for the Italian violinist sisters Teresa and Maria Milanollo, who introduced it to England in 1845 in the course of extensive European tours. It was adopted by the GGFG in 1929 at time of the alliance with the Coldstream Guards.

“March from Figaro”

Based on the aria ‘Non piu Andrai’ from Mozart’s opera, “The marriage of Figaro”, this march is thought to have become the Coldstream regimental slow march about 1805. One story is that the eight year old Mozart, visiting England in 1764, saw the Changing the Guard and proceeded to write a march for the Coldstream Guards, who were playing on that occasion. Later, it is said, he introduced the same march into his famous opera. In June 1812 when the opera was first played in London, the audience were puzzled by the reminiscent effect of ‘Non piu Andrai’ until they realized that for several years the tune had been played by the bands at the Changing the Guard ceremony.

In September 1903 the Band of the Coldstream Guards, conducted by John Mackenzie-Rogan, visited Ottawa while on a concert tour of North America. The Band of the GGFG entertained the Coldstream when they visited Ottawa. John Mackenzie-Rogan later composed the quick march “The Red Feathers” which was subtitled “Regimental March of the Foot Guards of H.E. the Governor General of Canada”. The march was never adopted as the GGFG march, and the circumstances of its composition are not known.