Sustained response to applause for the archers (8)
I believe the answer is:
longbows
'applause for the archers' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.
'sustained response' is the wordplay.
'sustained' becomes 'long' (I've seen this before).
'response' becomes 'bows' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'long'+'bows'='LONGBOWS'
'to' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for longbows that I've seen is " Powerful infantry weapons used against the French at Agincourt, 1415".)