ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Reading Banjo Paterson's account of the rookie trumpeters playing 'Reveille' on board ship, heading for the Boer War, in 1899...


Reveille on a Fiddle

Stephen Whiteside 28.11.2012

You cannot play 'Reveille' on a fiddle.
You cannot play 'The Last Post' on a flute.
It would be a grave mistake
If you ever tried to wake
A soldier with a whistle or a toot.

A string quartet is not the thing for marching.
A chamber orchestra is not the go.
You need a big bass drum
You can belt to kingdom come
If you're facing desert sun or blinding snow.

So give me lots of noise with trumpets blaring.
Spare me all the soft 'hey diddle diddle'.
You'd be better off to shout,
Throw you arms and legs about,
Than to ever play 'Reveille' on a fiddle!

By tradition, the Reveille and Last Post are sounded on a bugle.

The trumpet is a brass instrument with a long parallel bore and an attached conical bell. Trumpets have a bright blaring sound and are traditionally connected with cavalry.
The bugle has a short conical bore , it has a more mellow sound. The word 'bugle' is related to the word 'bucolic" because the original bugle was a cow horn. Traditionally connected with infantry field signals and ceremonial calls.

The history of military music is a fascinating study. Goes all the way back to Joshua and his shofar.


Quite right Stephen, a string quartet has no place on the battle line, as the apostle Paul said " if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle ? "

Yes, you're right Neville, but Paterson went with trumpet, so I followed his lead. Strictly speaking, the trumpet is nothing but a series of bugles all fused into the one instrument by way of keys though, as you say the bell is different.

Bugles aren't terribly interesting instruments. You can only play three notes on them - C, E and G - fine for reveille, but not much use for marching music.

Neville I didn't realize that Joseph had a shofar - since he rode a donkey I wouldn't have though he needed one

As always Stephen clever and funny I always think it such a shame that history lessons were never taught in this manner - like your chinstrap penguin this bit of knowledge will now be for ever in my brain, who knows where it may surface next

Cheers

Maureen

...in the Southern Ocean, perhaps?

Thanks, Maureen!

Better put your glasses on Mauren, it's JOSHUA that had the shofar at the battle of Jericho.