When I was with John Lilburn's regiment of Musket and Pike, (English civil war reenactors) marching in modern military fashion was discouraged, that is line abreast, but a drummer was usually ordered to 'give the time' for the pace of the march up to the field of battle. Although there were quite a few of the Lilburns who came to the folk club they did not sing on the march and although the evenings drinking usually began with such things as 'When the king comes to his own again' the age of the songs reduced quite quickly.   

There was the English march - which is just drum rhythms, and John Gwyn's air, but I don't know how far - if at all they can be traced back from the 1640s.

Anne