The Rouse

The Rouse is a bugle call most often associated with the military in Commonwealth countries. It is commonly played following The Last Post at military services, and is often mistakenly referred to as Reveille.

Despite often being referred to by the name Reveille, The Rouse is actually a separate piece of music from the traditional Reveille. The Rouse was traditionally played following the Reveille, which was a bugle call played in the morning to wake soldiers up. The Rouse would be played to get soldiers out of bed.

The use of both the Last Post and the Rouse at cenotaph ceremonies in the Commonwealth nations essentially turns the period of silence into a ritualized night vigil. The selection of the Rouse in the ceremony as assembled in the aftermath of the First World War also carries a subtle Christian reference to the Judgement Day and the implied hope that there will be one day when the living and the dead arise together.

Because of the close association between the two tunes, The Rouse is commonly mistaken for Reveille, and has taken on many of the functions Reveille traditionally held in remembrance ceremonies (such as those on Remembrance Day) due to its shorter length and the ease with which it can be played.

Music
Being bugle music, both Rouse and Reveille are composed entirely from the written notes of the C Major triad (i.e. C, E, and G), these being the only notes available on the instrument.