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MUSIC & THE MILITARY
KEEP KIDS L E A R N I N G R E S O U R C E
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 1
AN ANCIENT MILITARY TRADITION
Music has played an important part in the military for thousands of years. Greek and
Roman armies even employed musicians to play in camps and on battlefields to convey
orders, communicate with, and motivate soldiers.
WHAT WAS MUSIC USED FOR IN THE MILITARY?
In the past musical instruments communicated military battle instructions. By 1700
warfare changed from fierce charges to pressure by movement and massed firepower.
Soldiers of the 1700s needed to move smoothly and in formation, whatever commands
were given. With clouds of gun smoke added to the noisiness of combat, verbal
commands were not always reliable for giving direction to an army. This resulted in the
introduction of musical instruments for signalling.
Photo credit: From the collection of the Royal Institute of Cornwall. Members of aDuke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) band.
EARLY MILITARY BANDS
Military bands came from the private musicians of
monarchs and nobles and used a range of musical
instruments and influences from different
countries and cultures. They were fashionable at
the time and both enhanced ceremonial duties
and entertained the soldiers. The men who served
in early military bands were both volunteers and
professionals who were also gentlemen, dedicated
to the music they composed and played. Bands
were initially paid for by the officers of the
regiment. Cavalry regiments and infantry
battalions each had their own band. Regiments all
had their own slow and quick marching tunes.
Over time, European national armies standardised
their musically conveyed orders into a set of calls.
Manuals from as early as the mid-16th century list
calls including Marche, Approache, Assaulte,
Retreate and Skirmish. Being able to identify those
signals and translate them into specific actions
was a basic a training skill.
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 2
This decorated drum is in themuseum’s collection.Campaigns of the Duke ofCornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI)regiment are inscribed on theside of the drum, including itslast, which was Lucknow, India.On 1 July 1857 a regimental fortwas blown up in Lucknow andboth it and the drum wereabandoned. Amazingly, thisdrum was found intact andreturned to the regiment.
Music has played a major part in the everyday life of the Britishsoldier, whether on campaign or stationed in barracks. Themilitary band has always utilised a variety of musicalinstruments, from a series of large and small bass drums tofifes (small pipes), trumpets and hunting horns. Militarybandsmen had beautiful customised art or banners painted on,or attached to, their instruments. The art related to the pastglories or traditions of the regiment they belonged to. Due totheir exotic nature and prestige, taking military bandinstruments and equipment as souvenirs was encouraged. Music played on the battlefield lifted the morale of marchingand fighting men. The music of the fifers and drummerssignalled orders of commanding officers.
MUSIC AND THE
BRITISH ARMY
At a victory parade during the Crimean War at Scutari in
Turkey, regimental bands, who were not used to
performing together, performed the National Anthem
badly, which was witnessed by the Duke of Cambridge,
Queen Victoria’s cousin. This led to the establishment of
the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in
Twickenham to raise standards. Since then, this school has
taught generations of Army bandsmen and is involved in the
education the modern musicians of the armed forces. Find
out more about Kneller Hall here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWKh13CKvwQ
The battlefield drum outlived its usefulness as gunfire
drowned out its commands. It was replaced with a
bugle, which at the time represented the latest in
military technology! The bugle was introduced to the
British Army in the 1760s when a new approach to
fighting was being developed. It was also easier to carry
and operate than a drum or fife and its sharp, brief calls
were perfect in the chaotic fighting of light infantry
operations. Both the Light Infantry and the bugle were
permanently adopted into the British Army by the end of
the 18th century.
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 3
The bugle sounds its arrival!
DID YOU KNOW... THAT THE ROYAL MILITARY SCHOOL OF MUSIC WAS CREATED
BECAUSE OF AN EMBARRASSING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM IN 1854?
British Army bugle calls in the 19th century dictated the life of both soldier and officer in the groundsof the barracks. These calls ensured that the regimented life of the soldier ran like clockwork at atime where soldiers didn’t have wrist watches. A soldier’s day was regulated by bugle calls tellinghim when to get up (Reveille), when to eat (Officers' Dinner), when to be on parade (Warning forParade) or when to go to bed (Lights Out).
Regimental bugle calls
Although now recognised as a bugle call signifying a final farewell at a military funeral, and in
accompaniment to periods of silence on military occasions of remembrance, the Last Post originally
indicated inspections of the final sentry posts had been completed and all was secure. Before the
1850s many military bandsmen were civilians and didn’t accompany their regiments overseas, so when
a soldier died abroad there was often no music to accompany him on his final journey. This started a
new custom as the regimental bugler began to sound the Last Post over the grave. It was also played at
funerals and memorials back home. Listen to the Last Post here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDS3TxtGaQ0
DID YOU KNOW... THE LAST POST WAS ORIGINALLY A CALL USED DAILY BY THE BRITISH
ARMY?
Military bands linked the Armed Forcesand the public as everyone can relate tomusic. Musical performances promotedthe armed forces and became animportant part of the recruitment drive toencourage men to enlist or join up.
The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
Cap Badge shows the importance of
the bugle to these regiments. It
became the main symbol of light
companies, featuring in the insignia of
light infantry regiments throughout
history including the Duke of
Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 4
The DCLI Cap Badge
Music and the First World War
Photo credit: From the collection ofThe Royal Institute of Cornwall. TheDuke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI)band are about to start or have justfinished a march which was probablypart of a recruiting drive.
SOLDIER FIRST, BANDSMAN SECOND
BANDSMAN THOMAS EDWARD RENDLE
Thomas Rendle joined the 1st Battalion,
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI)
in 1902. He was a Bandsman and played
the tuba, which is a brass instrument.
One of Thomas’ duties was as a
stretcher bearer, which meant that he
carried injured men to safety. In Belgium
in November 1914 Thomas
rescued wounded soldiers with bullets
narrowly missing his head. He received
his Victoria Cross (VC) medal from King
George V at Buckingham Palace in July
1915. Thomas was the only man in the
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry to
receive a VC during World War One. He
later joined recruiting marches across
Cornwall to encourage local men to join
the Army.
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 5
Corporal Thomas Edward Rendle during a DCLIrecruiting march around Cornwall in 1915.
Soldiers who served in the First World
War spent a lot of time waiting for orders
while they were in trenches or while in
reserve, away from the front line. Music
and singing provided entertainment for
them and kept up morale, provided
comfort and hope, induced feelings of
patriotism and solidarity and was a source
of much needed humour! Some of the
men would have mouth organs while
others were lucky enough to have
gramophones to listen to in their dug
outs. Many songs were made up and
based on well-known tunes with funny
lyrics replacing the original ones.
Soldiers also sang the popular tunes of
the day including Keep the Home Fires
Burning and Pack Up Your Troubles.
Singing helped lift their spirits! For men
who were unlucky enough to spend
Christmas on the front line they cheered
themselves up by singing carols.
Music as entertainment
during the First World War
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 6
· Today military bands perform at ceremonialevents, entertain troops or the public as partof a special event or parade such as onArmistice Day or Trooping the Colour. Theyplay patriotic music which encouragesnational pride and identity including nationalanthems, brass band music and orchestralmusic. Music is still central to Army trainingand parade-ground drilling. It is used tosignal the manoeuvring and changingformations to the soldiers performing theparade drills in the same way it told soldiersof the past to manoeuvre on the battlefield.
Military music today
1. Think military music is boring? Watch The Top Secret Drumming Corp from
Switzerland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxsffsSyFaM
This group regularly perform at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and are
incredible!
2. Sing some First and Second World War songs including: It’s a long way to Tipperary,
Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and We’re going to hang out the washing on
the Siegfried Line https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsynSgeo_Uo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6QANPqHSIc
3. Create homemade instruments with household items. Make shakers with pasta in
empty bottles or use bottles either with filled with varying amounts of water or empty and
scraping them with spoons or sticks to make sounds, or just upturned pans. Play along to
some of the First and Second World War songs above or to some military marches here:
https://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/5-best-classical-tracks-for-marching/
4. Create and compose a piece of military music https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-
clips-video/music-ks2--ks3-compose-yourself/zhrgqp3
5. Explore the music of the war and put on your own
performance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/music-drama-dance-history-ks2-
ww1-musical-archie-dobsons-war-music-part-1-listen-to-the-fields/zfbsnrd
6. Use musical app Song Maker to compose melodic parts and drum rhythms.
https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/
7. Use https://html5drummachine.com/virtual-drum-machine/ to compose a drum
piece.
8. Make a drum kit out of: a) cylindrical barrels or water bottles to create a bass sound,
b) plastic or metal bins to create a snare sound, c) pots and pans to recreate hi-hats or
cymbals, d) plastic pipes to create the sound of toms, e) plastic bottles filled with rice to
create a shaker. Create some military inspired drumming.
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y
P A G E 7
ACTIVITIES
T H I N G S T O M A K E & D O . . .
The Bugle - The Music of the Light Infantry https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ERc0roTCyl0
Podcast - https://bodminkeeppodcasts.libsyn.com/music-military-and-morale
https://bodminkeep.org/the-dcli-boys-the-lost-ww2-song/
https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/corps-of-army-
music/royal-military-school-of-music/
Reveille Bugle Call (1946) British Pathe -https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mzCW3EoFBtc
Complete British Army Bugle Calls - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Bi7Vk06S8
British Army Routine Bugle Calls Part 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=i0nhMtnzOso&list=RDi0nhMtnzOso&start_radio=1&t=43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKdld-MNzg
https://bodminkeep.org/a-turkish-delight-the-jingling-johnny/
I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y P A G E 8
ACTIVITIES
T H I N G S T O WA T C H A N D E X P L O R E