The Big Drum Sound- the Lambeg

The Lambeg Drum is in the same category of musical instruments as the bugle and bagpipes: it was used in battle both to put heart into the troops and to transmit orders with its different beats. It was neither British nor Irish, but Dutch, and the first Ulster Protestants saw of this giant drum was with the Dutch Guards Regiment who accompanied King William on his way to the Boyne.

Ulster Protestants remembered the Dutch drums and when the Williamite war was over they took up the tradition. The name 'Lambeg' was applied to the drums because they were made for many years in that area and the first parade for the drum in its present shape was in the village of Lambeg. Like the tradition of parading the Lambeg is older than the Orange Order. Between 1690 and 1795 the Lambeg tradition survived in individual familes and various 'Williamite' societies. When the Order was founded, Lambegs provided a link with King William and were used in processions and also to summons Lodges to meetings at the Worshipful Master's house.

In recent years there has been a great revival of the drumming art and many young people have taken it up. A new development in the last twenty years has been regular drumming matches for cups and prize-money.

The largest annual drumming match is held in the town of Markethill, County Armagh, on the last Saturday in July. Between 50 and 60 drums take part, forming a slow procession into the 'ring' where judges listen carefully to the beat and to the changes in the rhythm. When they listen to one side of the drum and then the other they are testing for an even tone.

The Lambeg Drum consists of a round 'shell' made of glued layers of wood (or more rarely of brass); two goatskin 'heads'; and two wooden 'hoops' which are placed over the goatskins and pulled tight across the shell with a rope lacing.

Preparations for the Twelfth will start a week beforehand and drums will be 'put up' in Orange Halls. These are slackened at the end of each night's drumming and the ropes are 'pulled' by hand again to start drumming the next evening. After the Twelfth is over the drums are taken down by taking the hoops off the shell and removing the goatskin 'heads'. Each drummer has his own secret potion to rub down the heads.

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