Image from the performance
By Rebecca Carter
Not one for blowing his own trumpet – or tuba, in this case – Filtonvoice’s editor and publisher has something to be immensely proud of.
Nearly 40 years after he last picked up the instrument for the world-renowned Phantom Regiment, Rich Coulter returned to the field, this time at Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for Rich to play with nearly 600 Phantom Regiment Alumni in front of a 22,000-strong audience on August 7.
He first performed with the competitive world class drum and bugle corps in the 1980s, having studied in America and been involved in the activity in the UK, and was thrilled to return all these years later to perform with them once again.
The performance marked the Regiment’s 70th anniversary, in a night filled with powerful music repertoires and theatrical storytelling, with predominantly classical music arrangements including Nutcracker, New World Symphony and the ballet Spartacus, all selections from key Regiment shows down the decades and firm fan favourites.
The spectacular performance followed the Drum Corps International World Championship Semifinals, before closing with the age-out ceremony for this year’s graduating class of corps members.
A keen musician who also plays the piano, Rich became aware of the alumni opportunity three years ago, and has since been busy practising the tuba again in preparation for the prestigious event.
Rich was joined by his family, including his wife Bridget and two sons, Fin and Rory, who proudly cheered from their seats.
He said they were all wearing red T-shirts, and “there was no better moment” than spotting them during the performance.
The Lucas Oil Stadium is the home of NFL team the Indianapolis Colts, and to perform there in front of such a huge and lively crowd was a “once in a lifetime opportunity”, Rich said.
He described it as an emotional experience for everyone involved, particularly when, for an encore, the alumni were joined by the current Phantom Regiment cohort for a performance of the corps song, a favourite for brass musicians, Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral.
Rich during rehearsals at the Lucas Oil
Stadium in Indianapolis
He said: “For many of the 580 performers, our time with Phantom Regiment was a significant period in our lives and I feel so grateful to have been able to reconnect with people I hadn’t seen in decades and share in this experience.”
Prior to the performance, Richard spent a week in Indianapolis rehearsing with the band. Watch the full performance below.