The guard provides a full military band consisting of no fewer than 35 musicians (usually, although not always, from one of the Guards regiments) led by their director of music. When the new guard is formed up, led by the band, it marches across into the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Once there, the New Guard advances towards the old guard in slow time and halts. The old guard presents arms, followed by the new guard presenting arms.
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To the first six bars of "God Save the Queen", the Escort to the Colour presents arms; simultaneously, turning outward at an angle of 45°, the NCOs (non-commissioned officers) at the four corners (or flanks) of the Escort port arms, as symbolic maximum protection for the colour. The Escort to the Colour and Colour Party slope arms. The Colour Sergeant marches to the right and to the rear of the Escort. Once the Colour Party, Ensign and Regimental Sergeant-Major have joined the Escort, the RSM repositions himself to the left of and behind the Escort.
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The guards will then slope arms and the reliefs will be formed up to go round the castle and change the sentries – during this process, the band typically plays a selection of music. Once the relief returns, the old guard forms back up ready to march back to Victoria Barracks. The band leads them out whilst the new guard presents arms. Once the old guard has left, the new guard is dismissed to the guardroom where they will be based for the next 24/48 hours – every two hours, the guard relief will march out and change the sentries.
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In Ghana, the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony is held annually during the Independence Day celebrations on March 6. The escort for the colour is mounted by the Ghana Army and has the task of retrieving the ceremonial colours of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, alongside the Flag of Ghana. After the escort presents arms to God Bless Our Homeland Ghana, the escort for the colour then marches off to the tune of the British grenadier guards in slow time. The ceremony takes place on Black Star Square, where the national salute is taken by the President of Ghana in his, or her, position as commander in chief of the GAF.
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After the inspection is finished, the band plays a slow march followed with a quick march as the lone drummer then breaks away to take his position beside number one guard to play the drummers call, signalling to the officers of guard of honour to take positions to receive the colour. The escort for the colour then marches off to receive the colour which is located in the center of the Ceremonial Grounds. 3 officers then retrieve the colour and order the escort to the colour to presents arms for the national salute (The first verse of the Ugandan national anthem). Then the escort for the colour marches off in a slow march to the tune of the British Grenadier Guards.
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As the colour guards depart, they march on to the two flagpoles at the south end of the square facing the state grandstand, whereby as the massed bands play "Aegukka" and '"Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea", the flags are raised. Following this, the parade presents arms again for the inspection phrase. To the tune of the massed bands, the parade commander's vehicle meets with the vehicle of the parade inspector, and as the music stops the parade commander informs the parade inspector for the readiness of the parade to be reviewed for inspection. The report done, the parade inspection begins as each of the battalions forming up the parade are inspected while the bands play, and as they halt the inspector greets the formations assembled.
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After finishing his inspection of the parade, the band plays a slow march followed with a quick march, during which the lone drummer then breaks away to take his position beside number one guard to play the drummers call, signalling the officers of No.1 Guard to take positions to receive the colour and the Guard's RSM removing his pace stick and then unsheathing his sword. The escort for the colour then marches off to collect the colour as the massed KDF band play either The British Grenadiers or a locally composed march, after which the escort halts in position. After the hand over and as the Escort presents arms the first verse of the Kenya national anthem is played, then the escort to the colour marches off in a slow march to the tune of The Grenadiers' Slow March. The first tune normally played during the march in slow time is always 'By land and sea'.
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Then the sentinels of the outgoing unit surrender their posts to the sentinels of the incoming unit, and then the incoming unit presents arms as the outgoing unit marches out with an NCO or Warrant officer leading the old and new guard sentinels. Similar protocols are followed every hour by the honour guards stationed at the gates of the seats of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the Altare della Patria, and at the gates of the Quirinal Palace. In these cases, a sub- officer leads the incoming unit in front of the standing guards, and leads the outgoing unit after they have surrendered their posts. Units forming for the regular mounting in various parts of Rome come from, aside from servicemen from the Carabineri, various units of the Italian Army, Navy, Air Force and the Financial Guard, and even the Italian State Police, and their respective bands provide the musical accompaniment to the Quirinal Palace ceremony.
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On the occasions of the Festival of the Tricolour on January 7, the Anniversary of the Unification of Italy on March 17 and the Italian Republic Day on June 2, the Changing of the Guard at the Quirinal Palace is performed in its solemn form by the Corazzieri Regiment and by the mounted band of the Carabinieri 4th Cavalry Regiment, with the guards wearing their ceremonial dress uniforms and riding horses. Mounted Corazzieri during a Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Quirinal Palace in Italy. Every other day the Changing of the Guard takes place at the same hour, 18:00 during the summer and 16:00 for the rest of the year, and involves a military band from every service branch of the Italian Armed Forces and/or the State Police and other services (Vigili del Fuoco, Red Cross, and Prisons Police) only if the President is in the Palace. The incoming unit marches into the internal courtyard in front of the outgoing unit, which presents arms and later again with the new guard to the tune of Il Canto degli Italiani.
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