Evocati’s Pledge - Epic Roman Music

You can buy this track and more of my work here: Music and vocals by Farya Faraji. Please note that this is not a historically accurate reconstruction of actual Ancient Roman music, but rather modern music using Roman instruments and its modal framework. The Evocati were soldiers in the Roman army who had received their honorable discharge after completing their service, but enlisted once again at the request of an important general or politician. The Evocati enjoyed a a more prestigious status than most soldiers in the army as older, battle-hardened veterans who had returned to war, and were often equated in status with the equites class; many of them becoming centurions. The music uses the principal instrumental palette of Ancient Roman music: a lyre, an aulos and a pan flute. The percussions are more thematic and creative: I overlaid dozens of sounds of shields and spears being smashed together to exude a militaristic sound. The lyrics are pieced together from different sources: modern military mottoes and Ancient Roman texts. I used the reconstructed Classical Pronunciation accurate to the time span of Classical Latin (75 BC to AD 3rd century), and took into account both the stress accent of Latin as well as its phonemic vowel length, basing myself on Ancient Greek practice: therefore, as with Ancient Greek historical practice, the stressed accent of a word has the musical accent on it, and long vowels are demarcated from shorter ones either by being sung longer, or having melismas (more than one note) on them. Lyrics in Latin: Rōmule, vigilāmus prō te, Audācia et fortitūdō, Audācia et fortitūdō, Prō focīs et patria, Sīc itur ad astra, Rōmule, vigilāmus prō te, Inter hastās, ferte manūs certās, Inter hastās, ferte manūs certās, Prō focīs et patria, Sīc itur ad astra, Rōmule, vigilāmus prō te, Dūcit amor, patriae, quō fās et glōria dūcunt, Prō focīs et patria, Sīc itur ad astra, English translation: Romulus, we stand vigil for thee, Audacity and fortitude, For home and country, Such is the pathway to the stars, Romulus, we stand vigil for thee, Between spears, strike with a firm hand, For home and country, Such is the pathway to the stars, Romulus, we stand vigil for thee, I am lead by love of country, to that place where right and glory lead, For home and country, Such is the pathway to the stars! Romulus, we stand vigil for thee!