Historical Notes
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MILITARY BAND
By Jack Kopstein
References to a Military Band, or at least to a group of instrumentalists performing for military purposes can be found in records dating back to biblical times. A good example of this is the siege of Jericho by the Children of Israel, when "the armed men went forth led by the priests who blew trumpets". The army of the Israelites used these trumpets for their military ceremonies and displays and they are frequently mentioned in the Book of Joshua in dealing with the capture of Jericho. The Hebrews had a number of instruments that were utilized in various military and religious services. However, it appears that flutes (ugab), drums (tof) and trumpet (hazozra) represented the usual complement of the military band. These instruments used individually or in combination were directed solely to producing signals for the arrival of priests, or as a prelude to battle. It is highly unlikely that these primitive instruments produced anything more than a cacophony.
The ancient Greeks held music in high esteem, and along with the development of an alphabetical system of musical notation came a number of important musical instruments; the aulos or reed pipe later known as the oboe, and the syrinx, pipes built in different lengths. Bards who accompanied singers used these instruments and this was probably the first attempt at forming a band.
Before the 12th century, music of a popular kind was almost entirely in the bands of roving musicians, known as troubadours who associated with actors and acrobats. If a new melody grew up like a wild flower, these fifers, fiddlers or minstrels took it up and made it known far and wide. Although these musicians were social outcasts, it was not considered a breach of etiquette to allow them into houses of low or high degree to learn from them the latest ballad or dance tune. Oh all great occasions, court feasts or church festivities, great numbers of them flocked together for the exercise of their merry calling. But their association together as a band was a matter of momentary convenience and their performances consisted only of playing melodies of songs, dances and March tunes.
Trumpets and kettledrums were strictly forbidden to ordinary minstrels, being reserved for the exclusive use of princes and men of high rank. These instruments predominated in the bands that officially performed on state occasions or at royal banquets. It is said that King Henry's band consisted of ten trumpets, sixteen trombones and four drums in 1587. The Elector of Saxony had in 1620, twenty court trumpeters and three kettledrums, with apprentices being trained to perform on each instrument. Other courts had their trumpet-corps and their respective numbers were considered an indication of the importance, wealth and power of the court. In the German Empire they formed the "Guild of Royal Trumpeters and Army Kettledrummers", which were under the protection and jurisdiction of the Elector of Saxony.
· As early as the 13th century, those pipers who were settled in towns and who felt the ignominious position of being classed with the wandering vagabonds, combined and formed "Innungen" or corporations for their mutual protection, in Germany, France and England. The first of these, "The Brotherhood of St. Nicolas", was instituted at Vienna in 1288. This guild was imitated during the next two centuries by most of the large imperial towns, who established regular bands of "Town pipers" under the leadership of a "Stadtpfiefer", who had to provide all music at civic or private festivities. Although the town bands had as yet only poor instrumentation, consisting mostly of fifes, flutes, schalmey (a form of oboe), bombards (a bass flute), zinken or cornetti, bagpipes, viols and drums, they are the first germs from which modern bands originated.
The use of musical instruments in war by the ancients, as an incentive to the courage of the troops rather than a means of conveying signals began earnestly in the 13th century. Here we find for the first time undoubted evidence of the sounding of trumpets on a field of battle, during the battles of Crecy and Neville's Cross, spectacular English victories over the French and Scots, in 1346. For the next two centuries the instrument used in signaling seems to have been the trumpet alone. In 1343, however, Edward is said to have entered Calais "with a fine procession of trumpets, drums, schalmet and bells".
In pieces written for band from about three centuries ago, we find a rather peculiar habit of keeping different classes of instruments separated. Flutes, reed instruments, trumpets and hunting horns mostly were treated as forming distinct bands.
Till the 17th century, music played by bands of trumpeters was learned by ear and transmitted without notation. The mercenary troops of Austrian Emperor V and French King Francois I had large bands of trumpets and kettledrums in the battles of Marignano (1515) and Pavia (1525). It is said that the clash of instruments was as fierce as that of the weapons. By the 17th century we find trombones or sacbut in general use and combined with flutes, oboes, bassoons, along with trumpets and drums, a very decent degree of band music began to emerge. Music now began to be noted down and we are able to trace its progress as we come nearer the 18th century. Bands separated more distinctly into three classes - the full orchestra, addressing itself to the cultivated musical intellect, while the military and brass bands appealed to the masses. The inclusion of the newly developed clarinet, ideally suited to wind-band music, caused the oboe to be pushed into second place. The French horn was also now included in bands.
In 1763 Frederick the Great of Prussia first defined the composition of the military band. It comprised the following instruments:
oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons in pairs, to which were added later on a flute, one or two trumpets, and a contrabassoon. The band of Louis XIV (1643-1715) organized by Lully consisted of oboes, bassoons and drums. Around 1800, the vogue of Turkish music resulted in the adoption of noise making instruments such as cymbals, triangles and military glockenspiels. Infantry regiments under Napoleon had bands consisting of one piccolo, one high clarinet (probably either A~ or Ft clarinets), sixteen regular clarinets (probably pitched in Bb or C), four bassoons, two serpents, two trumpets, one bass trumpet, four horns, three trombones, two side drums, one bass drum, two pairs of cymbals.
Some of the early band music exemplified the most developed form of wind band writing before valved brass instruments altered its tone color. A good example is the Grand March in Eb by Sir Henry Bishop (1786-1855) and is scored for flute, two oboes, four clarinets, two trumpets, two horns, two bassoons, bass trombone, serpent and ophicleide.
A landmark in the development of military music was a performance in honor of the Russian Emperor by Carl Wieprecht, the organizer of Prussian military music, in Berlin on May 12th, 1838, at which he conducted the massed bands of 32 infantry and cavalry units, totaling 1,000 wind instruments and 200 drummers.
The military band was first introduced into England from Germany by the Duke of York, circa 1783. Prior to this the Royal Artillery had a number of men who were trained as musicians, and also the Guards, where in 1662 the band of the Scots Guards consisted of drums, fifes and bagpipes. Charles II, during his exile in France was impressed by the band of Oboes (Hautbois), and when he returned in 1660 introduced these Hautbois into the Grenadier Guards. Nearly 75 years passed without further development of the band in England and by 1783 there were only eight performers in the three Regiments of Guards - two oboes, two clarinets, two horns and two bassoons. They were excellent performers but were civilian members of the military, thus they could decline to perform if they desired. The officers who were responsible for their pay became desirous of having a band they could utilize on all occasions, and a letter was sent to the Duke of York, Colonel-in-Chief of the Coldstream Guards, requesting a full time band. The Duke consented to the wish of his officers and, with the approval of the King, a band composed entirely of Germans was raised consisting of twenty-four members including clarinets, horns, bassoons, trumpets, trombones and serpents, and drums. This was the forerunner of the present military band in England and the Commonwealth.
The innovation met with instant and universal approval and Regiments of the Line were allowed by the War Office to raise similar bands at their own expense. They allowed a certain number of men from the ranks to be trained as musicians but ordered that all expenses such as music, instruments, and pay for the bandmaster should be borne by the officers. Therefore, as time proved, the entire welfare of the bands depended completely on the enthusiasm and pockets of the officers of the Regiments. Regiments spent enormous amounts of money on their bands, importing some of the finest instrumentalists in Europe, building and establishing enormous music libraries and outfitting the musicians in the most expensive and resplendent uniforms. It was a good system because it created a good rivalry among the regiments. However, it lacked proper central organization to co-ordinate the band activities. The famous 91Scutari Incident" in 1854, where massed bands struck up God Save The Queen in several different keys, finally brought to light the inadequacy and musical indifference present in the officer supported regimental bands, and stirred the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, into action. He suggested that a Military School of Music he organized and provided by the government to train bandmasters and young instrumentalists. The first "Military Music Closet's was established at Kneller Hall, Twickenham on March 3rd, 1857.
The immediate effect was to raise the standard of British Military bands and to standardize the instrumentation of the bands, allowing composers and arrangers to write for a set musical ensemble. Early in the twentieth century great discrepancies existed in the number and variety of instruments used by different bands. In 1921 final established order was agreed upon and adopted by all bands in England, with other Commonwealth countries following suit.
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