In common with military bands generally, those of France have their origins in the music of War, and beginning with a romantic example, we mention the sound of Roland's horn at Roncevalles, in AD 778. This French soldier, killed by the Basques during Charlemagne's invasion of Spain subsequently became the hero of the 11th century Chanson de Roland.  At Hastings (1066) a Norman warrior, Taillefer, rode out from the ranks and entertained his comrades with some of its verses, dispatching two foes apparently not appreciative of music before being slain himself. It was a Norman custom to sound trumpets if they triumphed in battle or at a siege, and we may conclude that the practice was not confined to Norman France alone. However, this feudal custom was the prerogative of royalty and nobility. In France, as elsewhere, trumpeters were members of royal households and usually exempt from the normal military service. Their training and employment was often regulated by the trade guilds. As a rule trumpeters headed any royal procession or progress, even by water as on one historic occasion. On May 18 1588 when England was threatened by the Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth decided to visit her troops assembled at Tilbury. Both London and Tilbury being on the River Thames, the Queen's Majesty entered her royal barge, hard by St James's Palace, preceded by her musicians blowing loudly on silver trumpets, and the procession of barges proceeded down river on the ebb tide, cheered by the citizens who lined the foreshore, this stretch of the river being tidal.

For use in battle the primary instruments ware the horn or bugle ( the Roman bucan) and the drum, made of wood or metal with skin or parchment strained and tightened by crossover cords. Their function was to sound calls and rallying signals; to frighten or annoy the enemy; to encourage troops on the march and to set the pace.  Relieving Orleans in 1429, Joan of Arc made a triumphal entry to music probably played on tambours (drums) and trumpets or bugles. We know that the tune was a Scottish air which France had adopted and called La Marche de Robert Bruce.  In the medieval wars Scotland and France usually united against their hereditary foe, England. This tune is more widely known as "Scots Wha Hae Wi' Wallace Bled", from verses written after a lapse of about four centuries by the poet Robert Burns (1759-96). Sir William Wallace, a Scottish patriot who had been executed in 1305, was a staunch henchman of Robert the Bruce, who is said to have used the tune at Bannockburn (1314).  Le Marche de Robert Bruce is still played by French Service bends and it has been recorded by La Musique Principale des Troupes de Marine, in tones more dulcet than Joan of Arc and the Orleans populace would have heard.

The passage of time saw the development and growth of regiments and armies in Europe and with these, the introduction of more varied instruments that emanated chiefly from Asia, via those countries of Eastern Europe exposed to the depredations and invasions of the Ottoman Empire. The first example to arrive in France is believed to be a kettledrum from Turkey, presented to the Court of France by an ambassador from Hungary, in 1471.  It was described as a 'tambour des Perses', but the Persian name was 'timbale' and by that name the instrument has been known in France ever since.  Another Turkish innovation, the fife, was first seen in the hands of Swiss Mercenaries in France towards the end of the 15th century.  Fifes came into use fairly quickly, but they were not used for drill purposes but as 'instruments of pleasure'. Following the reign of Francis I (king from 1519-1547) the large bands of trumpets and kettledrums were favored but by 1588 there had been a marked change. On May 12 1588 a later king, Henry III, gave the people of Paris the opportunity of indulging in what was to become one of the capital's most popular pastimes in the ensuing centuries - the erection of barricades. The king had ordered his Swiss and French Guards to take up positions at vantage points in the city.

The outcome was a disaster that sent the king scurrying off to Chartres, but an account of the day's events includes a reference to the Guards marching along the Rue St Honore to 'the rolling thunder of 20 tambours and the shrill squealing of a score of fifes'. Another very important introduction was the oboe, derived from the Turkish zurna. In archaic English this double wood reed woodwind instrument was called the hautboy (pronounced 0 Boy!), from the French hautbois, which I shall not presume to translate.

Coming to the 17th century we find further innovation and development. Louis Quatorze (1638-1715) is justly praised for the enhancement of military music but he was only five when he became king and there had been noteworthy progress during the reign of his father, Louis Treize, who had assumed the royal power in 1617. The infantry fife and drum bands had remained but the trumpet and drum were of prime importance to the cavalry. The King's Trumpeters only numbered four, plus a kettle drummer but in addition there were the musicians of the Garde du Corps, amounting to 28 trumpeters and four kettle drummers. Of far greater musical importance was the King's Hautbois Band, of eight hautbois (2 treble, 2 alto, 2 tenor and 2 bass), two cornettes and two trombones. It seems that the idea came from the shawm, zurna and drum bands of the Turkish Janissaries. Before the end of the reign several regiments had hautbois bands, and this may be regarded as a turning point for the military band as we know it. Nevertheless, the trumpet retained its prominence and before leaving Louis Treize we refer to two trumpet fanfares of this period -La Guet (a watch or look-out) and La Cavalquet (a mounted scout).

During the infancy of Louis Quatorze the country was ruled by Cardinal Mazarin, as France had been ruled in the previous reign by another cardinal, Richelieu. After Mazarin's death, in 1661, Louis never appointed another first minister but took full control himself in concert with his own saying, "L'etat c^'est moi'.  He took great interest in the music of his regiments and saw the bands were organized to his liking.  He engaged the celebrated Jean-Baptiste Lully to supervise the army bands and to compose suitable music.  The King's Musketeers were allowed three hautbois and five drums per company, and by 1672 the Dragoons were similarly equipped.  The Garde du Corps had its bands playing in choirs, viz. using music written in four parts. Among the military music written by Lully (1639-87) was La Marche des Mousquetaires du Roy which has been recorded by La Musique da la Garde Republicaine. There is also a fanfare version and this can be heard on record by the Fanfare Trumpets of the French Air Force.

Louis Quatorze was succeeded by his great-grandson, Louis Quinze, whose indolence and frivolity were coupled with misgovernment and unsuccessful wars, leading to increasing discontent and laying the foundations for the French Revolution, which finally erupted in 1789. By then military music had reached a low ebb in France, but it was to have a phenomenal revival during and after the Revolution, when the pre-eminence of French bands caused astonishment and admiration in the rest of Europe. The Revolutionary leaders seem to have had little to learn as regards the value of audio-visual instruction in educating the new citizenry and consolidating the revolution. The process often took the form of great national fetes, such as the Fête Funebres for Mirabeau and Voltaire, or such philosophical and doctrinal events as the Fête de la Federation and the Fête de la Raison.  Held in the open air with monster bands and choirs, they were spectacular. An outstanding feature at these fetes was the band of the National Guard, massed with other bands. This band had been raised in 1789 by Bernard Sarrette, with 45 performers and in the following year was taken over by the Paris Municipality. The massed bands for the fetes were enormous. At one there were 10 flutes, 30 clarinets, 18 bassoons, 4 trumpets, 2 tubae curvae, 2 buccins, bass trombones, 12 horns, 3 trombones, 8 serpents, 10 percussion, bass, side and kettle drums; cymbalists and triangle beaters. 300 drummers could be added for the more prodigious occasions. The National Guard and their band also attended the numerous ceremonial plantings of 'Trees of Liberty' by the mayors of the various communes and we read of the accompanying brilliant ceremonial music'. The National Guard was not a police force but it had obligations to help maintain public order. In Paris it was commanded by one not unknown in America, Marie Joseph Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, until his hurried departure for Austria in 1792 after his attempt to restore the monarchy.

Returning essentially to the military music scene the regiments of the Revolution soon discarded much of the music of the old regiments, whose fine uniforms gave way to the blue great-coats of the new demi-brigades. The popular revolutionary songs were played by the bands and we can have a taste of them by listening to some verses of La Garmagnole, then to be combined instrumentally with the rabble-rousing Ca Ira and to be followed by the emotive La Marseillaise, which Rouget de Lisre (1760-1836) wrote for France's Rhine Army but was adopted by all revolutionary France. Two years after the Paris Municipality had taken over the band of the National Guard they decided to disband it to economize. Fortunately, Sarrette was able to create from it the Ecole Gratuite de Musique de la Garde Nationale Parisienne, which in 1795 was amalgamated with the old Ecole Royale, at the Conservatoire de Musique. Both the Ecole and the Conservatoire were the mainstay of military music in those stirring times and supplied all the French armies with their bandsmen. As recommended by the Conservatoire at this time a military band comprised one flute, six clarinets, 3 bassoons, one trumpet, two horns, one serpent and bass drum and cymbals. There had been a temporary eclipse of the oboe by the clarinet, because the latter instrument, played with the reed uppermost and open embouchure (as in jazz bands today), produced a clarino high trumpet tone. The trombone and serpent gave greater weight to fundamentals. In spite of the various forms of administration which succeeded each other in the unsettled final decade of the 18th century in France - the National Assembly, National Convention, Committee of Public Safety, Directory and Consulate -military music never flagged and the emergence of Napoleon Bonaparte was to ensure even greater vigor.  Much had been owed to such composers as Gossec and Nehul. The latter, in collaboration with the poet Marie-Joseph Chenier, had written the famous Chant du De-part to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Fall of the Bastille.  It rivaled La Marseillaise in popularity.

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