The Guyenne Drummer (Tambour)
Duties & Responsibilities
From the website of 85ème Régiment de Saintonge the following general information is provided, for more details please refer back to their site:
As in all armies of the late 18th century, the evolutions of the camp were controlled by the music and signals of the fife and drum. With no field radio or broadcast system available in this time, daily camp functions, ceremonies, marching and field maneuvers were announced by particular musical signals played by the one fifer and drummer assigned to each company of approximately 30-40 men.
For instance, the musicians told the soldiers through their signals when it was time to get up and start the workday, when to pack up camp and march, when to fall out for assembly, when to go to church, when to gather to get food, when to form work details, how fast to march, when to retreat, when to charge bayonets, when to offer salutes to VIP's or colours, when the workday was finished, and when to retire to the tents for the night.
Perhpas the most unplesant task of the drummer was that of wielder of the whip. In many units the drummer metted out the lashes from the whip, as directed by the unit officers to enforce disipline.
The Drum
With these important tasks to accomplish, it was vital to be heard across the camp and above the din of battle. The French army used some of the most advanced instruments of its time. The French fife is a transverse flute with no keys and six finger holes. The French played a smaller fife than their British or American counterparts, sounding near the key of D - a higher, more easily heard pitch than the more common British fifes using the key of C.
The French drums of this period had shells made of wood typically 16x16 for the shell and 1.6-2" wide counter hoops on the end, were tensioned with rope and had snares on the bottom head to raise the frequency of the sound.
The songs
Typically the drummers playing were the first and last things heard by the soldat as the day progressed. At dawn when the sun arose the duty drummer would sound drummers call to awaken the drummers so they could then beat revelille.
La Assemble (Assembly) -
Au Champs (To the fields) - Played when taking the battlefield
La Diane
Le Drapeau (The Flag) - Played when raising the colors
La Retreat (Retreat) - Played when retiring from the battlefield
Rondeaux
http://mapage.noos.fr/leradeschamps/partitions.html
Uniform
While a musician would carry a sword to ward off personal attacks, he would have no gun, and was therefore a non-combatant in a battle situation.
His uniform was distinctly marked so that he could be easily seen on the battlefield as a non-combatant to the enemy and as a signaller to his own officer. All French musicians were dressed in blue coats trimmed in the regimental colors and distinctions as the regulations warranted. They also had coats heavily trimmed in lace to further their distinctive appearance Fifers wore silver lace. Drummers, technically provided to the privately owned regiments by the King, wore the red and white chain-patterned lace of the King, called the Livery du Roi.
In particular the Guyenne regimental drummer would have worn the same colorful justacorp faced with the Livery du Roi but with the standard small clothes common to the regiment. In this case red vest and stockings, white breeches, black tricorn & white cockade.
English regiments often maintained a "Band of Musick" which was a small woodwind and brass chamber ensemble. This band did not seem to have any administrative function, but was strictly an entertainment group in camp and on the march to advertise the "grandness" of the regiment at parties or on parade and to keep up the pride and morale of the regiment. It is not known by this author if Guyenne while in Canada had such comforts or not.
For Further infomration please refer to French Regimental Musique
Copies of the standard French drum calls and marching tunes of the 1750's are available from the unit in photocopy form, or scanned images available here French drummer sheet music