Soft Power in a Rough Neighbourhood: The Political Appropriation of Military Bands and their Music in Ireland in the Early Twentieth Century
In Ireland, since at least the early twentieth century, military and military-style bands and their music have been important tools of influence in the political landscape. Music was inextricably linked to the partisan complexities of the time and contributed to the different cultural associations of the nationalist, republican, and loyalist communities, as well as crown forces. Music underpinned the political motives of all sides, with the recurrent strategic use of military music being so strong that it provoked stark and entrenched views across doctrinal fault-lines. Focusing on the conflict environment in Ireland during the early years of the twentieth century, and drawing upon first-hand accounts and military archives, this paper discusses the issue of the political appropriation of military bands at a time of extreme violence, revealing that musicians were considered agent provocateurs, becoming the victims of hostile confrontations during the Anglo-Irish conflict.
Major David Hammond is an ex-regular British army musician and now serves as a part-time army reservist with The Royal Yeomanry. He holds a PhD from the Open University in historical musicology and freelances as a conductor, French horn player, academic, and music consultant.
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This page was last updated on 14 March 2025
