THE MUSICIANS: MARTIALIS MAXIMUS - LINUS SUPERBUS  and VALERIA FORTUNATA play ROMAN MUSIC as it probably was! We cannot really use the word "exactly" since very little is known about the sort of music that would have been familiar to Roman ears. Merely playing "later" or "modern-sounding" music on re-constructed instruments seems pointless, so we have laboured hard to produce a "likely" Roman Musical Sound! The Somnia Imperii CD is now available to be sent out as from the end of July. The cost is £15 (inclusive of postage and packing) Payment for the U.K. is by cheque only, which should be made payable to D.L. MARSHALL and sent to me at the address below. David Marshall, Ancestral Instruments, Tudor Lodge, Pymoor Lane, PYMOOR, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2EF. Those ordering from abroad should contact me regarding £'s Sterling payment method and variable mailing  costs. Please e-mail me at romcd@ancestral.co.uk 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. HOWEVER, I am willing to discuss the sale of "higher quality" samples from my extensive library of Roman, Mediaeval and Renaissance Music tracks. 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!
A LONG ABSENCE After a long absence of 1600 years, gladiators returned to the City of London (Museum of London) to perform on the site of the Ancient Roman Arena there. The late Roman re-enactment society (Britannia) and our musicians (Praecones Britanniae) re-created a very real "experience" of what it must have been like to have been there all those centuries ago! Packed attendances for the two shows added that extra ingredient - wild, full-throated enthusiasm which raised hairs on the back of the neck! Britannia can be contacted on shadrake@blueyonder.co.uk
	OTHER MUSIC: Clearly too, there were smaller, more domestic occasions where music of a different nature would have been heard from instruments such as Lyra (Lyre) and Fistula Obliqua (flute) or, as shown in this Roman floor mosaic (pic left), Tibiae (double reedpipes) - Tympanum (tambourine-like drum) and Cymbalum (small bronze cymbals giving a ringing sound)

INSTRUMENTS:
From sources such as the mosaic above, also from carvings, paintings and surviving instruments, we have been able to gain a good indication of the sort of sounds that were familiar. The images also offer pointers as to their probable use as well as likely combinations of instruments.

PICTURES WILL BE ADDED of these "re-constructed" instruments, so remember to visit us again in the coming months. Meantime you might like to look at my Roman Bagpipe by clicking on the Special Commissions page and by scrolling down until you reach the appropriate section.

ROMAN MUSIC PICTURE GALLERY
	The FULL collection comprises - FISTULAE (whistle-flutes) - FISTULA OBLIQUA (tranverse flute) - SYRINX (panpipes) - AULOS - PHRYGIAN TIBIA - TIBIAE (reeds) - PHUSALIS (bladderpipe) - UTRICULUS (bagpipe) - CORNU - TUBAE - LITUUS (lip reeds) - TYMPANUM - CYMBALUM - SISTRUM - CROTALA (percussions) and LYRA (plucked strings).....so keep an eye on our picture gallery!
Phrygian Tibiae	Roman Tibiae
ASKAULES & TYMPANA	ANIMAL HORNS
ROMAN CORNU	PHUSALIS (bladderpipe)
ROMAN BAGPIPE (Utriculus)	Viewed from left: SYRINX - FISTULA OBLIQUA and ETRUSCAN AULOS
Viewed from top: Crotala - Cymbala and Sistrum	TYMPANUM & FISTULAE
Double Dronepipe