The sold-out final night of the Royal Bermuda Regiment’s 50th anniversary tattoo was yesterday hailed a huge success.

More than 4,500 people attended the colourful three-night pageant of music, which featured top military bands from around the world.

The final performance on Saturday night was attended by the Duchess of Gloucester, the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

In her official greeting, she said: “As Colonel-in-Chief, it gives me great pleasure to visit the men and women of the Regiment during their anniversary year and to celebrate this milestone through the magnificent Bermuda Tattoo.”

Former major Stephen Caton, chairman of the 50th anniversary committee, said: “We had three great shows and not even the rain on Friday night could dampen the spirits of the performers or the spectators.

“Through the Regiment, the volunteers and performers, it was a massive effort.

“If we add in the suppliers, the technical crew and everybody else, it was literally a cast of a thousand people and the committee is very proud of everybody who came together to make it work.”

Private Adrien Lewis, a piccolo player who has been with the Royal Bermuda Regiment Band and Corps of Drums for two years, said: “This was my first Tattoo and it’s been great.

“I’ve got to meet a lot of intriguing people and I was surprised by the warmth of the reception we got, but we are the Royal Bermuda Regiment, so I wouldn’t expect anything else.”

The 21-year-old, from Sandys, who works at Port Royal Golf Course, said a highlight was watching the different musical cultures on display.

Private Jason Lowe, 24, a drummer, said: “It’s been really fine watching the different bands and seeing how the sound comes together. It’s been beautiful.”

The director of photography from Sandys added: “I wasn’t surprised at the reception we got — the band gets a cheer wherever we go.”

The Tattoo, at the Keep Yard at the Royal Naval Dockyard from Thursday until Saturday, featured 411 performers — 308 of them from overseas — and all three nights ended with a massed bands finale and fireworks display, backed by the Regiment’s ceremonial gun troop.

Performers included pipes and drums from Scotland’s famous Black Watch, the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, alongside pipers and drummers from Bermuda and Canada.

They were joined by the Jamaica Defence Force combined bands, a US Marines Corps band from North Carolina and brass bands from the Rifles regiment and Royal Logistics Corps of the British Army and other bands from the Canadian Army, as well as by the Shiehallion Highland dance group from Canada and Bermuda Highland dancers.

Veteran band member Sergeant Aidan Stones, 43, an engineer from Sandys who plays the clarinet, said after the final performance: “The crowds have certainly been enthusiastic and the camaraderie with the other bands has been great.

“We’ve had a good, loyal crowd, especially with this being the last night.”

N’dera Smith, 10, from Paget, said: “It was really great. I liked the ending when it was the fireworks and I liked the music — I was clapping along the whole time.”

Jason Simons, 34, a field manager with Belco, attended with girlfriend Laverity Davis.

He said: “We liked the precision of the United States Marines Corps band and the Jamaica Defence Force, and I love the bagpipes.”

Ms Davis added: “I thought the Scottish dancers were really great.”

Carolyn Tankard, from Sandys, said: “I enjoyed it immensely — I’d like to join one of the bands myself. The US Marines in particular were great.

“It was well done and well-organised – really a great night.”