| In the sculptures found in the ruins of Nineveh are | | | | allowing him to have been a tall man; each pipe would |
| many representations of musicians and musical | | | | be up to twelve inches long. Behind the flute and |
| instruments. The latter appear to have been of the | | | | dulcimer-players come two more harpers, with |
| finest workmanship, in fact, within their limits, the | | | | instruments similar to that carried by the leader. |
| instruments of the Assyrians could be said to be | | | | Then follow another couple, a harper and a |
| artistically perfect. | | | | flute-player, followed, in turn, by two other harpers, |
| Most of the sculpture work discovered at Nineveh is | | | | these last being followed by a harper and a drummer, |
| now in the British Museum, and reproductions of it | | | | the drum a very small one and apparently played |
| are to be found in almost every book dealing with | | | | with the finger-tips. This constitutes the orchestra. |
| the history of music. Judging from the nature of the | | | | The rear of the procession is brought up by six adult |
| instruments represented, the music of the Assyrians | | | | and nine juvenile singers, the whole forming a band |
| must have been of a light yet somewhat subdued | | | | and chorus of twenty-six instrumentalists and singers |
| order, with no very pronounced effects of | | | | divided as follows :- |
| instrumental "colour," no blaring of large wind | | | | 2 Double flutes. |
| instruments or banging of drums. They have also | | | | 1 Small drum. |
| arrived at some idea of a proper combination of | | | | 1 Dulcimer. |
| instruments and voices. | | | | 6 Singing men or women. |
| An interesting illustration, not only of the nature of | | | | 7 Harps. |
| the Assyrian musical instruments, but also of the | | | | 9 Singing boys. |
| manner in which these instruments were used in | | | | There is undoubtedly a strong sense of proportion |
| combination with voices, can be seen by a sculptural | | | | and general fitness exhibited in this combination, so |
| relief in the British Museum, representing a procession | | | | much so, that we can hardly imagine the disposition |
| of musicians marching to meet a conqueror returning | | | | of this body of musicians to have been purely a |
| from battle. In front marches a man playing upon a | | | | matter of chance. The sharper sounding instruments, |
| harp, this instrument is approximately four feet high | | | | the flutes and the dulcimer, are carefully placed |
| and fitted with ten strings. From the fact of his | | | | among the other less pronounced instruments, and |
| walking alone in front of his fellow musicians, this man | | | | considering the nature of the other instruments, the |
| was probably the head musician. In today's terms, he | | | | drum may be said to be sufficiently large and |
| could be a conductor or a musical director, or it might | | | | powerful for the purpose it had to serve. |
| have been his turn to stand at the front. Nobody | | | | The backbone of the band is in the harps, they |
| knows for sure. Behind him walk two men, one | | | | represent the violins of the modern orchestra. The |
| playing an instrument of the dulcimer kind, and the | | | | proportion of singers to instrumentalists, again, |
| other a double flute. | | | | although somewhat unequal, according to modern |
| The dulcimer player walks with his instrument resting | | | | ideas, is curiously like that of Handel's time. |
| against his breast in a horizontal position, possibly it | | | | Besides the instruments just described, the Assyrians |
| was secured by a cord or strap passed round the | | | | appear to have also made use of a variety of drums, |
| player's neck. The flute-player's instrument is small, | | | | cymbals, trumpets, bells and tambourines. |