A close-to-capacity crowd last night gave the Bermuda Regiment Band and Corps of Drums a standing ovation at the end of a concert to celebrate the military’s half-century.

The Regiment band led a talented line-up of 130 musicians at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium — a last-minute venue change for the free Reunion Concert from the gardens of Government House after rain closed in.

Musician soldiers joined the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band, the Bermuda Youth Orchestra, the North Village Community Band and the Somerset Brigade Band as well as the Bermuda Chamber Choir and Warwick Academy Orchestra for two hours of musical entertainment to celebrate the formation of the modern Regiment in 1965.

Selena Simons, from Somerset, said her saxophone-player son Sediq was on stage with the massed bands.

She added: “It’s been perfect — wonderful. I was in the Berkeley band way back and we joined the Regiment to play concerts like this.”

Ms Simons said: “The Regiment is very important because of the support for the community and to help out our sister islands when they are in trouble.”

The audience, which included Governor George Fergusson and wife Margaret, heard a range of music, from military standards to waltzes and classical music like Zadok The Priest by George Handel.

But the repertoire also included pipes and drums and rock and pop hits from the Rolling Stones’s Satisfaction to a selection of tunes from Outkast, including their smash hit Hey Yah!

Rebecca Perry, from Pembroke, who watched the concert with husband Curtis and sons Andrew, 8, and Stuart, 6, said: “We wanted to hear the bands — it seemed like a great family day out. And the Regiment was very useful with all the clean-up and things after the hurricanes, that’s for sure.”

Retired Regiment Major Stephen Caton, one of the organisers of the 50th anniversary celebrations, said after the concert that 400 tickets had been allocated for the Government House venue and that most holders had come to the alternative site for the concert.

He added: “There was a massive mix of people here — including people in their Regimental ties. Without question, it shows the Regiment is still very relevant.”

Mr Fergusson told the audience the concert was “a fantastic gathering of different organisations” which he had “thoroughly enjoyed”.