The bands came up with the idea through discussion on the Ulster Bands Forum and the CD is a marvelous tribute to the servicemen and women and a showcase for extraordinary musical skills.
Quincey Dougan, who is also the administrator of the Ulster Bands Forum, said that the idea for the CD - which was launched at Stormont's Long Gallery - had been raised following the dramatic scenes in Belfast on November 2 where tens of thousands of people came out to welcome home local troops.
"The Soldier's Return project was an idea mooted on the Ulster Bands Forum by several members following the recent homecoming parade," he said.
"We made another charity CD a few years back which proved a success and given the strong support within the movement for our troops, we thought it would be appropriate.
"Indeed many bandsmen are currently on tours of duty with the armed forces and many are former members.
"The CD is a collection of 22 tracks with the vast majority well known regimental marches as performed by some of the country's most well known marching bands, alongside Scottish and English contributors."
Copies can be obtained securely through Paypal from the following site - http://www.soldiersreturn.co.uk/
Please show your support to this great cause.
The full track listing is :-
Pride of Ballinran Flute - Gibraltar
Newtownards Melody Flute - The Gael
Ulster Grenadiers Flute - Dark Island
Davie Harkness - Wish you were here
Burnside Accordion - Home fires/ Tipperary/ Pack up your Troubles
Blackskull Corps of Drums - Adjutant
Noel Quinn - Willie McBride
Fifes and Drums Shore Road - Queen of the Battle
Greengairs Thistle Flute - D Day Dodgers/ Keep Right on till the End of the Road
Session Beat - The Heights of Monte Cassino
Churchill Flute - Killaloe/ Regimental
Hounds of Ulster - Al Basra
Fiona Trotter - Flower of Ulster
Imperial Corps of Drums - Kenilworth
Cookstown Sons of William Flute - Sons of the Brave
Kilcluney Volunteers Flute - 1641 Lament
Ballykeel Loyal Sons of Ulster Flute - Queen's Regimental Medley
Lisburn Young Defenders Flute - Wartime
Jane Watterson - Green Fields of France
Dunloy Accordion - Fare thee Well Enniskillen
Mervyn Dougan - We Will Remember
Regimental Band of the Ulster Volunteer Force - Highland Cathedral
You can read more about the launch here - http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Charity-CD-to-mark-soldiers39.4781897.jp
You can download a poster from here - http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=949818&the=y
http://www.soldiersreturn.co.uk