2018: A Parade and Ceremony of Spectacular Proportions
New Orleans Eat Your Heart Out!
Thursday, 21st June
Flamboyant Rent Collecting With Panache!
“The annual Rent Ceremony is a weird and wonderful occasion when the Chairman and Trustees march around the Piazza, accompanied by the Town Crier and the Covent Garden Jazz Marching Band, to collect payment of the “peppercorn rents” of five red apples and five posies of flowers for the buildings, known as The Protected Lands, on which the Trust owns a 150-year headlease.”
(Covent Garden Area Trust Website)
The Grand Finalé
For the Grand Finalé to the Rent Collecting Ceremony, held in the South Courtyard of the Market, the Marching Band (finally static!) played a rousing session of jazz set lasting an hour. Always a fun event, they make quite a big sound due to the rather special courtyard acoustics. The Marching Band has led the Rent Collecting Ceremony for the past 21 years.
Trumpets: Digby Fairweather, Chris Hodgkins (Leader), John Keen.
Reeds: Julian Mark Stringle (clarinet), Eric Gilchrist (alto), Ian Bailey (tenor).
Trombones: Chris Gower, Phil Brown and Tim Wacher.
Sousaphone: Mick Godwin.
Banjo: Alan Bradley.
Drums: Don Cook (side drum), Ben Martyn (bass drum).
I count it a huge privilege to to be asked by The Covent Garden Jazz Marching Band to film, photograph and feature their participation in the Rent Collecting Ceremonies each year.
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
(Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Virginia M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
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