A prose account of the battle in the same MS. states that the “Englische mynstrelles beaten their tabers and blewen their trompes and pipers pipenede loude and made a great schowte upon the Skottes.”
Froissart, under date 1338, gives details of the means taken by the Scots to intimidate the soldiers of Edward III.[5] Having mentioned their great horns, he adds, “ils font si grand’ noise avec grands tambours qu’ils ont aussi.” The same chronicler, describing the triumphal entry of Edward III. into Calais (1347), gives the following list of instruments used: “trompes, tambours, nacaires, chalemies, muses.”[6]
Drums were used in the British army in the 16th century to give signals in war and peace-side drums by the infantry and dragoons, and kettledrums by the cavalry.[7] In the reign of Henry VIII. two drummers were allowed to every company of 100 men. The chief drum beats used by the infantry in the 17th century[8] were call, troop, preparative, march, battaile and retreat; these were later[9] changed to general, réveillé, assembly or troop, tattoo, chamade, &c. The side drum was admitted into the orchestra in the 17th century, when Marais (1636-1728) scored for it in his opera Alcione.
(K. S.)
[1] See Victor Mahillon, Catalogue descriptif (Ghent, 1880), vol. i. pp. 19 and 20.
[2] Joannes Mauburnius, Rosetum exercitiorum spiritualium et sacrarum meditationum (Paris, 1510), Alphabetum, ix.
[3] Vier Bücher der Ritterschaft; mit manicherleyen gerüsten, &c.; (Augsburg, 1534).
[4] Carl Engel, The Music of the Most Ancient Nations (London, 1864), p. 219.
[5] Chron. ii. p. 737, see also Grose’s Military Antiquities, ii. 41.