But 10 years on, Corporal Hamish Dean and Senior Aircraftsman Michael McGowan have been chosen as with six other trumpeters from the Royal air force’s Central Band to strike up the first notes toasting the newlyweds at Westminster Abbey.
As Prince William and Kate Middleton sign the register on April 29 the pair will play a 30 second piece which will be heard by a worldwide audience of at least 750 million people.
“I’m really excited but a little bit nervous” said Aircraftsman Michael McGowan.
“We will have a really big live audience. But I can’t wait for the atmosphere and the ambience of it all.”
The best mates whose other halves are also soldiers in the band at RAF Northolt in west London, met while completing a Bachelor of Music at Victoria University where they flatted together for three years.
Their friendship endured and the pair have now played for all members of the royal family with more than 370 engagements a year.
Corporal Dean, from Wanganui, joined first in 2004 after chatting to a recruiting officer during a visit to the Royal Manchester School of music with New Zealand’s National Youth Brass Band. The 35 year old, who also works as a librarian for the RAF, lives in the barracks, as does his English partner, clarinet player Louise Bonneywell.
When a vacancy came up in the band in 2006 he looked up his old friend, Aircraftsman McGowan 32, from Christchurch, who auditioned and won the position.
His wife Senior Aircraftswoman Miriam McGowan, 32, born in Cambridge, soon secured a spot for herself playing French horn.
The two couples have undertaken 9 weeks of gruelling training as recruite at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire, southeast England. Like all members of the RAF, the musicians are required to support British forces on operations in Iraq and Afganistan.
Their duties include anything form a guarding or watch-keeping role to driving ambulances or administration."
“It’s usually about nine or 10 years before you are deployed,” aircraftsman McGowan said. “We’re on the list waiting to go out. It’s part of the job. You know it’s going to happen at some stage.”
Both had previously been membesr of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band but were not required to train as soldiers.
The royal wedding music, which will be unveiled on the day, is called Valiant and Brave, which is the motto of Prince William’s 22 Squadron.
It was composed by the RAF’s music director, Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs. He played at the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981 and will be conducting the band on their son’s big day.
Eight Household Cavalry state trumpeters will also play at the wedding and more than eight other bands will join over 1000 military personnel along the procession route from Buckingham palace to the abbey.
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| Hamish Dean and Michael McGowan |
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