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Retreat


 

RETREAT

A Historical Perspective

This, like the Tattoo, is a musical relic of the old ceremonial past of armies. Of course the original call “Retreat” belonged to the battle throng and conveyed the order to retire to some position in the rear, its history being hoary with age. The modern “Retreat” is a ceremony which had its origin in the first decades of the I8th century and was a signal notifying that the gates and barriers of town, fortress or camp were being closed for the night. In the I7th century this ” Retreat ” was played at sunset at the time for ” Tattoo “, but by the first decades of the I8th century these two are differentiated.’ In Bland’s ‘Military Discipline’ (172 7) we see that

Half an Hour before the Gates are to be shut, which is generally at the Setting of the Sun…. the Drummers of the Port-Guards are to go upon the Ramparts and

beat a Retreat, to give notice .. that the Gates are going to be shut.

We then read that

The Retreat, or Tat-too, is generally beat at Ten-a-Clock at night in the Summer and at Eight in Winter…. The Tat-too, is the Signal given for the Soldiers to Retire to

their Chambers.

It was the former of these which, especially after the reintroduction of fifes into the British army about 1745, became the foundation of the modern ceremonial ” Retreat “. In the Rutherford fife book (c. I75o) and that of

Thompson & Co. (c. 176o) we have the notation of the ” Retreat ” played in ” English Duty ” and ” Scotch Duty “. These, having long passed out of familiarity deserve a brief quote They were almost identical When the bugle showed itself in the light infantry at the close of the I8th century it was given a call.

A few years later a new “Retreat” was adopted by the infantry in general. It is the one which survives to-day, written originally (before 1798) by a certain F. Fraser as a duet for bugle horns. It was these bugle calls which preceded the ceremony of ” Retreat ” as played by the drums and fifes marching and counter-marching along the parade ground. As in the ” Tattoo “, the drums and fifes opened and closed with the traditional three pauses. Soon after 1815 the above ” Retreat ” was superseded by that of Potter in 3-4 time and this continued to be used until almost the close of the 19th century.

In France examples of the ceremonial Retraite abound from the days of Louis XIV (d. 1713) in many compositions by Lully, Philidor Pains and others, set for hautbois(oboes), with the fundamental beats for the drum.



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