Royal Gibraltar Regiment celebrates 80th anniversary with ‘Unconquered’ concert

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band and Corps of Drums, and the Band of the Irish Guards were joined by world-renowned Welsh tenor Wynne Evans.

Mr Evans is widely known for his role as Gio Compario in the Go Compare adverts and met the local Regiment’s Bandmaster, WO1 Richard Burton some 15 years earlier, long before his rise to fame.

The Unconquered concerts formed part of the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

“It was a truly memorable event and a career highlight for me,” Bandmaster Burton said after the concert.

“The musicians performed superbly and Wynne Evans is a true entertainer, as everyone in attendance in the Cave would have seen.”

“It is fantastic for the Band and Corps of Drums to be able to use music to mark this significant Regimental anniversary.”

The concerts aimed to raise funds for local charity ‘Pathway Through Pain’ and the Benevolent Funds of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Irish Guards.

‘Pathway Through Pain’ provides assistance to patients and their families when they need to be treated away from Gibraltar, whilst the ‘Benevolent Funds’ provide support to soldiers, former soldiers and their families in times of need.

The concerts had been a year in the planning, with specific detail focusing on the choice of repertoire to mark the occasion and, in particular, the Regiment’s 80th anniversary.

The Regiment’s Band began rehearsals in January and incorporated the Irish Guards’ musicians just four days prior to the event.

A special mention was given to Colour Sergeant Albert Vallejo, on string bass and tuba, who retired after Sunday’s concert.

CSgt Vallejo had served for 27 years with the Band since its inception in 1992.