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BAND

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 310 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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BAND , something which " binds " or fastens one thing to another, hence a See also:

cord, rope or tie, e.g. the straps fastening the sheets to the back in See also:book-binding. The word is a variant of " See also:bond," and is from the See also:stem of the See also:Teutonic bindan, to bind. From the same source comes " See also:bend," properly to fasten the See also:string to the See also:bow, so as to constrain and See also:curve it, hence to make into the shape of a "See also:bent" bow, to curve. In the sense of "strap," a See also:flat See also:strip of material, properly for fastening anything, the word is ultimately of the same origin but comes directly into See also:English from the See also:French bande. In See also:architecture the See also:term is applied to a sort of flat See also:frieze or See also:fascia See also:running horizontally See also:round a See also:tower or other parts of a See also:building, particularly the See also:base tables in perpendicular See also:work, commonly used with the See also:long shafts characteristic of the 13th See also:century. It generally has a bold, projecting moulding above and below, and is carved sometimes with foliages, but in See also:general with cusped circles or quatrefoils, in which frequently are See also:shields of arms. The two small strips of See also:linen, worn at the See also:neck as See also:part of legal, clerical and See also:academic See also:dress, are known as "bands"; they are the survival of the falling See also:collar of the 17th century. These bands are usually of See also:white linen, but the See also:secular See also:clergy of the See also:Roman See also:Church See also:wear See also:black bands edged with white. The See also:light cardboard or chip boxes now used to carry millinery were formerly made to carry the neck-bands, whence the name of "band-See also:box." In the sense of See also:company or See also:troop, " band " is probably also connected with bindan, to bind. It came into English from the French. The meaning seems to have originated in Romanic, cf. See also:Italian, See also:Spanish and Portuguese See also:banda, and thence came into Teutonic.

It has usually been taken (see See also:

Ducange, See also:Gloss. s.v. banda) to be due to the " band " or See also:sash of a particular See also:colour worn as a distinctive See also:mark by a troop of soldiers. Others refer it to the See also:medieval Latin bandurn, banner, a strip or " band " of See also:cloth fastened to a See also:pole. In this sense the See also:chief application is to a company of musicians (see See also:ORCHESTRA), particularly when used in armies or navies, a military band. Military Bands.—In all countries bands are organized and maintained in each See also:infantry See also:regiment or See also:battalion if the latter is the unit. The strength of these bands and the number and nature of their See also:instruments vary considerably, as also do the See also:rank and status of the bandmaster. The buglers and drummers belonging to the companies are generally massed under the sergeant-drummer and on the See also:march See also:play alternately with the band. In See also:action the See also:British See also:custom is to use the bandsmen as stretcher-bearers, but on the See also:continent of See also:Europe the bands are as far as possible kept in See also:hand under the regimental commanders and play the troops into action; and in all countries the available bands, drums and bugles are ordered to play during the final See also:assault. The training of bandmasters for the British service is carried out at See also:Kneller See also:Hall, See also:Hounslow, an institution founded in 1857 and placed under See also:direct See also:control of the See also:war See also:office in 1867. The See also:average strength of the various classes of See also:instrument in the band of a British See also:line regiment has been stated as—twenty flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, four horns, eight saxhorns, six trumpets and cornets, three trombones, two drums. The buglers and drummers are in the proportion of one of each per company. The See also:saxophone, which is the characteristic instrument of military bands in other countries, has not found favour with the British authorities. Another specially military instrument, universal in the See also:Russian See also:army and more or less See also:common to others, is the so-called " Jingling Johnny," a See also:frame of small bells that is sharply shaken in the accented parts of the See also:music.

The " See also:

glockenspiel " is also fairly common. The See also:peculiar instrument of Scottish regiments is the bagpipes. See also:Cavalry, and more rarely See also:artillery See also:corps in the various armies, have small bands. The mounted arms, however, have little need of music as compared with the infantry, the See also:order and ease of whose marching See also:powers are immensely enhanced by the music of a See also:good regimental band. In the navies of various countries bands are maintained on See also:board See also:flag-See also:ships and sometimes on board other large ships.

End of Article: BAND

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