The role of music in maritime
For centuries music has played a crucial role in the rhythm of life at sea, providing welcome entertainment and contributing to the health and morale of sailors, seafarers and marines.
One of the most ancient and enduring of traditions is still visibly present in key celebrations and memorial ceremonies internationally today. Interactions shines a light on maritime museums and marine bands where IMarEST members can deep-dive into the history of music at sea.
National maritime museums are treasure troves for any country's musical and maritime traditions. Many IMarEST members will be very familiar with the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London that presents an intriguing collection of musical instruments and written scores that shed light on the essential role music has played throughout British marine history.
Dating back to a copy of a song believed to have been composed by Queen Elizabeth I to celebrate the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the collection also includes such precious artefacts as the barrel organ taken to sea by Admiral Sir Samuel Hood during the Napoleonic Wars and the banjo played by Dr Leonard Hussey to alleviate the tedium and stress endured by the crew on Shackleton's Antarctic expedition aboard Endurance in 1914.
Conveying orders and recruiting
The next port of call must be the marine band. In the UK, the Royal Marines are a highly specialised amphibious light infantry force of commandos, able to deploy at very short notice, with origins dating back to 1664, when they first went to sea to fight the Dutch navy using specialist tactics to lead and repel boarding attacks on the lower decks, while harassing the enemy from the upper decks with effective musket fire. Since then, they have also, coincidentally, continued to carry a robust and proud musical tradition, due to the fact they originally used buglers and drummers to convey orders aboard the ships they were allocated to — with their musicians expected, when needed, to drop their instruments and start taking part in the heart of the action as fighting soldiers.
(Credit: Royal Navy)
Today, that tradition is as strong as ever. Members of the Royal Marines Band Service are both highly-trained musicians and skilled soldiers who perform at major events around the world, including military tattoos, sports events and royal occasions. When called upon, they are still expected to set their instruments aside to provide military support on operations, for example, as part of a medical team on board a casualty receiving ship or by supporting their Royal Marine Commando colleagues in a military capacity. They undergo rigorous musical training at the Royal Marines School of Music (RMSoM) in Portsmouth, founded in 1903. Upon completion, they are expected to perform at the highest and most professional level every day – whether playing in a small jazz group or as a full symphonic wind orchestra — or operating militarily. And the training doesn’t necessarily stop there — many Royal Marine musicians go on to study for a fully funded BMus (Honours) degree.
The US Navy Band dates back to May 1798 when Captain Robert Dale ordered that two musicians make up the crew of 25 on board the USS Ganges. When the US Naval Academy was established in 1845, the US Naval Academy Band was officially formed. Interesting luminaries in its history include John Philip Sousa who, having made his name as the head of the US Marine Band in the last nineteenth century, was brought back into naval service during WWI aged 62. He was instrumental in encouraging young musicians to enlist and formed smaller bands that could carry out duties on ships, and a larger band of 350 musicians that toured major cities to support the Red Cross, Navy relief and recruitment efforts. Specialisation has continued ever since with a jazz ensemble, a rock band and a bluegrass group emerging from the organisation, along with the Sea Chanters, the US Navy's chorus that performs sea chanteys, choral arrangements, opera and contemporary music.
Changing times
The singing of shanties — songs sung by sailors to the rhythm of their work with no need for instrumentation — became ubiquitous throughout the era of wind-driven packet and clipper ships. The switch to steam-powered ships and the use of machines for shipboard tasks at the end of the 19th century, led to shanties no longer serving a practical function. At the same time, the Royal Navy banned singing during work because it was thought the noise made it harder for the crew to hear commands—although capstan work was still accompanied by the bosun's pipe or a fife (a type of small flute), drum or fiddle.
The hornpipe is another musical tradition that thrived at sea. Known widely as the sailor’s dance and described by Samuel Pepys in his diary as 'The Jig of the Ship', the hornpipe become popular with sailors in the late 15th century due to the fact that no partners were required and it could be performed easily within the limited and confined spaces available on a sailing ship’s decks. The dances were accompanied by simple wooden pipes carved with spaced holes and mouthpieces made of horn. Ships’ masters — most notably Captain Cook —ordered their men to dance the hornpipe every day in order to keep them in good health and spirits. See this 1928 Pathé footage showing 900 sailors performing the dance for the Prince of Wales at the annual inspection of the Royal Naval School in Greenwich.
To experience marine bands' repertoires in 2022, watch the highlight of the Royal Navy’s musical calendar, the Mountbatten Festival of Music 2022, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, London featuring the Massed Bands of HM Royal Marines, the Fanfare Team and world-famous Corps of Drums.
Want to take part in our Music in Maritime poll? Follow the IMarEST’s LinkedIn page for details.