Roman Music CD Available by David Marshall & Praecones Britanniae.

The Somnia Imperii CD is immediately available. The cost for customers in the U.K. is £12 (inclusive of postage and packing). Payment for the U.K. can be made by cheque, which should be made payable to V.J. MARSHALL and sent to me at the address below. Valerie Marshall, Tudor Lodge, Pymoor Lane, PYMOOR, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2EF.
You can also order using a credit card and pay in your own currency! We use Paypal to process our credit card orders.
Cost U.K. £12.00 including postage & packing.
Cost U.S.A./North America - U.S.$19.00 including shipping.
Cost Europe & Rest Of World - Euros 15.00 including shipping.
NOTE THAT IF YOU ARE ORDERING FROM ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD PLEASE CHOOSE THE "EUROPE" OPTION.

Our Roman Music has been used in several folms and TV programmes:

We provided help with the soundtrack for the motion picture The Gospel Of John (www.gospelofjohnthefilm.com). Spectator magazine ran an article explaining our involvement - "Seeking to reflect the Roman influence on the period that the film depicts, Stephen Cera and Jeff Danna (Music Supervisor and Composer for the film) discovered Praecones Britanniae, a Cambridgeshire, U.K., group specializing in the music of Roman times. The pair duly incorporated the group into the soundtrack.".

We also provided Aulos music for the BBC for their programme on The First Olympians.

Here are short extracts, recorded as part of the CD. Important Note: In order that the samples download reasonably quickly, we have had to compromise and sacrifice some sound quality. Therefore, the samples are only 8 bit and do not convey the true sound quality of the instruments, but do give a good indication of the sound of each.

WARNING:
These samples must NOT be copied for any purpose, commercial or personal. They are here purely for potential customers as "previews" for CD's or to help decide which instrument to order. APOLOGIES to all "genuine" customers obliged to hear my voice on every single sound sample! Unfortunately, it has been necessary to add this to prevent the "parasites and leeches" out there using my music without permission. However, I hope you will still find the music perfectly audible and therefore suitable for the original purpose intended.

LEGIO HISPANA (music to depict lXth. Legion moving north across Hadrian's Wall to do battle. Legend has it that the legion was never seen again! The instruments heard are - Tuba, Tympana & Utriculus) - Click here for the sound sample - (file name legiohispana.wav - file size 2.3 Meg)

BACCHANALIA (ASKAULES - the bagpipe was known to The Ancient World, there being literary references also to a Greek version called - Askaules. The pipe heard here uses primitive, all single, reeds. Accompanying instruments are Tympana and Cymbalum.)  Click here for the sound sample - (file name - askaules.mp3 - file size 782K)

Download Sound Sample - Double Aulos with 2 Tubae and Tympana playing part of a Pompa (processional piece) - (252K - file name "PompaBritannia.mp3")

Download Sound Sample - Fistulae with Lyra and Cymbalum - (378K - file name "tepidarium.mp3")

Download Sound Sample - Two Corna with Tympanum - (252K - file name "GloriaRomanorum.mp3")

THESE TRACKS (AND MANY OTHERS) CAN BE HEARD IN FULL ON THE ROMAN MUSIC CD.

THE GROUP NAME, which translates as - "Heralds of the British Province" - suggests a liking for fanfaring, pomp and the martial side of music. This arose from a need to provide appropriate accompaniment for Gladatorial Combat - Pompae (ceremonial processionals) - Battle Re-enactment and Festive occasions. For these, the louder instruments are needed - TUBAE (trumpets) - BUCINA or CORNU (large circular war trumpet/horn) and Utriculus (Bagpipe). All the evidence suggests that the Romans, like us, needed and used plenty of loud music as a backdrop for these type of events. The majestic sound of Tubae rising above the roar of the mob for gladatorial combat is something quite special - evocative sounds which dispel the centuries in an instant!

See Paraecones Britanniae providing musical accompaniment to Gladiator Combat by clicking here.

Music For Historical Productions -The band are also available for media work - for more information click here.

ROMAN REED INSTRUMENTS

THE (DOUBLE) AULOS

The Double Aulos is an ancient reed instrument using double (oboe-type) reeds within a conical bore. As a result, it is quite loud and strident with excellent carrying power.

The Double Aulos was known to Ancient Greeks and Romans alike and seems to have been one of their most popular reed instruments - it appears time and time again in carvings and paintings, etc. There is even reference to the Emperor Nero playing it both as a reed instrument directly from the mouth as well as connected to "the leather" as a double-chantered bagpipe!

There was also a "single pipe" Aulos as well as the more common "doubled-piped" version.

It is not possible to know precisely the nature of the music played on the Aulos. There is little doubt though, that there were considerable variations between instruments as some sources show the Aulos being played with the hands occupying the same positions on both pipes - others where one hand is set lower. Clearly, there were different Auloi (plural of the word) offering a range of tunings and with them, a variety of musical textures and options.

It has to be said that almost nothing is known about Roman Music but the scale provided does bring a "likely tonality" to the instrument. If you go along with its "in-built" tuning, the sound is compulsively ancient and striking!

Download Sound Sample - Double Aulos with 2 Tubae and Tympana playing part of a Pompa (processional piece) - (252K - file name "PompaBritannia.mp3")

THE PHRYGIAN TIBIA

This uses a "single" reed (forerunner of the type used on the clarinet) for sound generation. At the pitch here, the sound is warm and "buzzy" - even exotic to some ears! The animal horn at the lower end amplifies the sound and as such, the instrument is very close to the later Hornpipe - except that there is no open-ended mouthpiece through which to blow the reed.

Images of this Phrygian version of the Tibia with its curved end bell have been found amongst the carving on Roman sarcophagus lids.

As already mentioned, there is no mouthpiece or windcap, so the protruding section of the reed at the very top has to be encapsulated within the mouth cavity. The lips are pressed against the top rim for support when blowing. There is no direct contact with the reed during playing.

Download Sound Sample of Phrygian Tibia - Phrygian Tibia Sound Sample - Click Here - (475K - file name "copa.mp3")

The sound sample uses a melody based around the 4th finger (E flat) but music using other keynote-based tunes also works well - in particular, those on 5 fingers.

OTHER MUSIC