ABSTRACT
For thousands of years, music and war have gone hand in hand. A reference in the Old Testament of the Bible cites Gideon's men blowing 300 shofarot as they marched into battle. Roman legions employed similar instruments. Centuries later, European armies would add drums and natural trumpets to their musical arsenal. Military music has always flowed back and forth between fields of combat and general culture. Beginning in 1095 and lasting for over 300 years, European Christians undertook a series of crusades into the Middle East. The early ventures were designed to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim rule; later projects sought to halt the Ottoman Empire's encroachment into Europe. The wars inspired entire repertories of music, including pilgrims' songs, planctus, and rallying cries. One military-inspired melody from the fifteenth century, 'L'homme arme' was embedded into more than 40 Catholic masses.
