A collection of descriptions and references to sounds drawn mainly from primary sources such as autobiographies, diaries and statutes, as well as novels written around the times they depict.
| Sub-category | 1st to 10th |
11th to 15th |
16th to 17th |
18th | Early 19th |
Late 19th |
Early 20th |
Late 20th |
| Coronations | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Ritual openings of public events | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Victory parades and celebrations | 1 | |||||||
| Regular rituals of court and state | 1 | 1 |
Period referred to: Early 18th century
Sound category: Ceremony > Regular rituals of court and state
Title of work: The Daily Courant
Type of publication: Newspaper
Author: Not known
Year of publication: 1717
Page/volume number: 17 July 1717
George the First is conveyed along the Thames to music by Handel
On Wednesday evening at about eight the King took water at Whitehall in an open barge [. . .] and went up the river towards Chelsea. Many other barges with persons of quality attended, and so great a number of boats, that the whole river in a manner was covered.
A City Company's barge was employed for the music, wherein were fifty instruments of all sorts, who played all the way from Lambeth, while the bargers drove with the tide without rowing as a far as Chelsea, the finest symphonies, composed express for this occasion by Mr. Hendel, which His Majesty liked so well that he caused it to be played over three times in going and returning.
At eleven His Majesty went ashore at Chelsea, where a supper was prepared, and there was another very fine consort of music, which lasted till two, after which His Majesty came again into his barge and returned the same way, the music continuing to play until he landed.
Period referred to: 1590s
Sound category: Ceremony > Regular rituals of court and state
Title of work: Itinerarium Germaniae, Galliae, Angliae, Italiae, cum Indice Locorum, Rerum atque Verborum
Type of publication: Published travel account
Author: Paul Hentzner
Year of publication: 1612
Page/volume number: n/a
Queen Elizabeth at court in Greenwich
In the ante-chapel, where we were, petitions were presented to her and she received them most graciously, which occasioned the acclamation of, Long live Queen Elizabeth. She answered it with, I thank you, my good people. In the chapel was excellent music. As soon as it and the service were over, which scarce exceeded half an hour, the Queen returned, in the same state and order, and prepared to go to dinner. But while she was still at prayers, we saw her table set out with the following solemnity:
[. . .]
During the time that this guard, which consists of the tallest and stoutest men that can be found in all England, being carefully selected for this service, were bringing dinner, twelve trumpets and two kettle drums made the hall ring for half-an-hour together.