(Ger.: ‘tower music’).
A term denoting music to be played from a church tower, or a town hall tower, by a band of town musicians (see Stadtpfeifer). The practice was common in Germany from the late 16th century to the early 18th; the musical repertory consisted of harmonized chorales and other kinds of melody, or more extended pieces (Turmsonaten). Such music was normally played by wind instruments, in particular cornetts, trumpets and trombones, in four- or five-part harmony; several books of such music were published in the 17th century, notably by J.C. Pezel and Gottfried Reiche.
RICHARD RASTALL