Drums

Firstly, allow me to dispel a common myth; there is no evidence for ‘little drummer boys’ in the English Civil War Armies! The role of the drummer was strenuous and often dangerous; a drummer required maturity, composure and quick wits.

It was an essential role on a noisy battlefield where the roar of cannon, the clash of steel on steel and the wild neighing of horses and the screams of men could easily drown out the orders of the officers. Drums were used to relay these orders to the men by simple and distinctive beats so that even the dullest soldier could quickly identify them and act upon them. More… 

In the 17th century, the drummers marched as individuals within the ranks, but due to the smaller numbers of our battallia as re-enactors, our drummers march in a corps of drums. The beats and marches were not written music as such, so had to be learned by heart and passed on from man to man– much as our drum corps re-enactors do today.

So if you’d like to have a go at drumming, no formal music  training is required – a strong sense of rhythm, however, is a distinct advantage if you do not wish to incur the wrath of your officers!
….And regarding those ‘little drummer boys’ – they may only have existed in myth, but they  are loved by the public and so we do permit members who are under 16 years old to march with the army to the perimeter of the battlefield where they are collected by their parent or guardian.