THE sight and sound of Royal Marines bands have always been a popular draw at the Bournemouth Air Festival, but this year things are stepping up a gear.

Over the years bands such as The Band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood have performed Beating Retreat on the cliff top.

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But this year they will be putting on a much bigger show on the beach as well.

For the first time, The Band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood will be performing a full-scale proms-style show at the Boscombe stage on the first night of the four-day event, Thursday, August 20.

Major Pete Curtis, the band’s director of music, told the Daily Echo: “There’s a mix and it will hopefully please everybody.

“There will be a fanfare opening and a corps of drums. They come on and dazzle people with their stick work.

“We’re going to make use of the big screens and there will be a big band feel and music from the shows.

- Win tickets to the Royal Marines band concert at the beach on August 20th 

“There will be a Royal Marines, Royal Navy finale and we’re ending with a fireworks show.

“There will be all of the patriotic stuff.”

The band will still perform Beating Retreat on the Friday and Saturday evenings as in previous years, giving the public the chance to get up close to its members.

The performances will take place on the East Overcliff from 6.15pm, when the Royal Marines Commando Recruiting Team will also show off their unarmed combat skills.

Major Curtis added: “It’s always a treat to do; it’s a great place to come and a great show to support.

“It’s great that we have got this proms-type concert, The Power of the Sea; we’re now part of the Night Air series, it’s good for us.”

Tickets for the Boscombe show are priced at £15 per head and organisers are aiming to raise £10,000 through ticket sale contributions for service charities benefitting from the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund (RMCTF).

Visit bhlivetickets.co.uk for details.

THE Bournemouth Air Festival brochure, which is a commemorative Vulcan edition, can be ordered is available to order online at bournemouthair.co.uk and from outlets around the area, including the Daily Echo’s office at Richmond Hill.

The bumper 100-page special edition costs £8 and you can help raise £45,000 for charity with £2 from each copy sold will be donated to the 2015 Air Festival forces charities RNRMC, the RAF Benevolent Fund and The Soldiers’ Charity.

- Daily Echo