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MILITARY MUSIC (1500-1700). 37 |
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a pleasant occupation, for we find in the year 1637, the sergeant-trumpeter appointed a "trumpeter-in-ordinary " to impress one John Digges, when the latter challenged him to fight and otherwise abused him!
In Grove's " Dictionary " it is stated that no mention is made of the sergeant trumpeter of the Royal Household from the time of Benedict Browne {temp., Edward VI) until 1641. This is not correct as there is the appointment of Josiah Broome in 1626.
Fortescue notices a revival of the custom of impressment as late as 1705 and considers it an illegal stretch of the royal prerogative5, yet I find that even in 1781, musicians were not safe from impressment, since the Honourable Artillery Company in advertising for drummers and fifers, promised immunity from impressment to those who would serve with them.6
The reader has already noticed that trumpets and kettledrums were the special property of the " upper ten," a rule strictly adhered to in Germany. Even here in "merrie England" anyone wishing to blow a trumpet or beat a drum, other than the king's troops had first to obtain a licence from the sergeant-trumpeter or the drum-major-general. Even with king's troops, kettledrums were only granted to the royal bodyguard. Thus we find that the Life Guards alone had them. With this corps, each troop was allowed four trumpeters and one kettledrummer, who held
'Fortescue, "History of the British Army." ' Raikes, "History of the Honourable Artillery Company." |
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