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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 KEEP KIDS

L E A R N I N G R E S O U R C E & THE

Photo credit: From the collection of the Royal Institute of Cornwall. Members of a Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) band. 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. W HAT 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 co mmands were not always reliable for giving direction to an army. This resulted in the introduction of musical instruments for signalling.

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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.

M USIC AND THE

Music has played a part in the everyday life of the British soldier, whether on campaign or stationed in barracks. The This decorated is in the military band has always utilised a variety of musical museum’s collection. instruments, from a series of large and small bass to Campaigns of the Duke of fifes (small pipes), trumpets and hunting horns. Military Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) bandsmen had beautiful customised art or banners painted on, regiment are inscribed on the or attached to, their instruments. The art related to the past side of the drum, including its glories or traditions of the regiment they belonged to. Due to last, which was Lucknow, . their exotic nature and prestige, taking military band On 1 July 1857 a regimental fort instruments and equipment as souvenirs was encouraged. was blown up in Lucknow and Music played on the battlefield lifted the morale of marching both it and the drum were and fighting men. The music of the fifers and drummers signalled orders of commanding officers. abandoned. Amazingly, this drum was found intact and returned to the regiment. 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 DID YOU KNOW... THAT THE ROYAL MILITARY SCHOOL OF MUSIC WAS CREATED BECAUSE OF AN EMBARRASSING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE IN 1854? At a victory parade during the Crimean War at Scutari in T urkey, 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 sounds its arrival!

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 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.

Regimental bugle calls

British Army bugle calls in the 19th century dictated the life of both soldier and officer in the grounds of the barracks. These calls ensured that the regimented life of the soldier ran like clockwork at a time where soldiers didn’t have wrist watches. A soldier’s day was regulated by bugle calls telling him when to get up (Reveille), when to eat (Officers' Dinner), when to be on parade (Warning for Parade) or when to go to bed (Lights Out).

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

DID YOU KNOW...

THE LAST POST WAS ORIGINALLY A CALL USED DAILY BY THE BRITISH A RMY?

Although now recognised as a bugle call signifying a final farewell at a military , and in accompaniment to periods of silence on military occasions of remembrance, the Last Post originally i ndicated 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 and memorials back home. Listen to the Last Post here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDS3TxtGaQ0

The DCLI Cap Badge

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.

Music and the First World War

Military bands linked the Armed Forces and the public as everyone can relate to music. Musical performances promoted the armed forces and became an important part of the recruitment drive to encourage men to enlist or join up.

Photo credit: From the collection of The Royal Institute of Cornwall. The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI) band are about to start or have just finished a march which was probably part of a recruiting drive. 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

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 , which is a instrument. One of Thomas’ duties was as a stretcher bearer, which meant that he carried injured men to safety. In 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.

Corporal Thomas Edward Rendle during a DCLI recruiting march around Cornwall in 1915. 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 Music as entertainment

d uring the First World War

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 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 replacing the original ones. Soldiers also sang the popular tunes of the day including Keep the Home Fires Burning and Pack Up Your Troubles.

S inging helped lift their spirits! For men who were unlucky enough to spend Christmas on the front line they cheered themselves up by singing c arols.

Military music today · Today military bands perform at ceremonial events, entertain troops or the public as part of a special event or parade such as on Armistice Day or . They play patriotic music which encourages national pride and identity including national anthems, music and orchestral music. Music is still central to Army training and parade-ground drilling. It is used to signal the manoeuvring and changing formations to the soldiers performing the parade drills in the same way it told soldiers of the past to manoeuvre on the battlefield.

P A G E 7 I S S U E 7 - M U S I C & T H E M I L I T A R Y ACTIVITIES

T H I N G S T O M A K E & D O . . .

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 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 , d) plastic pipes to create the sound of toms, e) plastic bottles filled with rice to create a shaker. Create some military inspired drumming.

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ACTIVITIES

T H I N G S T O W A T C H A N D E X P L O R E

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/