Bandmaster's Baton

Music has been important in armies since ancient times. Drums, fifes, and more recently military bands have been used as aids to accurate marching, to boost a soldier’s pride and to enhance ceremonial occasions. The Regiment had a band as early as 1798, when it consisted of two sergeants and nine musicians. In the mid 1850s, in common with most regiments of the time, the bandmasters of the Norfolk Regiment were Italian civilians. The bands always served with their Battalions at home or overseas, and as well as ceremonial occasions, they were in demand to provide less formal music at dances and concert parties.