i AncientTimes Published by the Company of fifers & drummers, inc. spring 2010 issue 128 $5.00

in this issue: ConCord’s old north bridge remembering buzz Allen news from the west CoAst Celebrating our 10th anniversary registration has begun for our 10th Junior fife & drum Corps Camp!!! Junior fife & drum Camp dates: July 13th – 16th, 2010

Hello to our Fife and Drum Community!

We are so excited to offer this camp to our kids once again. This is the future of our Company of Fifers and Drummers . Please, if you can, help support the camp. Log onto www.jrfdc.org to see camp highlights. There you will find information regarding instructors, pictures and video of prior camps. Also, there is a link for regis - tration, camp schedules, donations, and much more!

Want to contribute? Send donations to: Cap Corduan 748 Westminster Street Fitchburg, MA 01420 Email: [email protected] Cell: 978-660-0924

JUST ONE MORE THING! Are you a veteran of this wonderful camp? If so, plan to celebrate with us on Friday night at Deep River. Wear one of your old camp T-Shirts or order the new camp shirt from Cap. We hope to see you there!!! Ancient times 2 2 From the editor 1 Issue 128, Spring 2010 a Motley Crew Connects

Published by Music, Dance ande Colo - iven the plethora of mate - the Company of nial Craft rial received for this issue, Fifers & Drummers 5 I will err on the side of http :/ / company offifeanddrum.org G the girl i left bu ehind brevity. editor: Deirdre Sweeney Me I’d like to thank all the writers Art & design director: Deirdre Sweeney Advertising manager: who contributed to this spring edi -

s 7 7 Deirdre Sweeney, pro tem tion of the Ancient Times . With lit - Contributing editor: Bill Maling Concord’s old north membership/subscriptions: tle more than a month between bridge For corps, individual, or life membership infor - issues, I was worried that I would mation or institutional subscriptions: s Attn: Membership The Company of Fifers & 9 have few articles to share. How - Drummers P.O. Box 277, Ivoryton, CT ever, the opposite is the case. For

Drum taps in Di ixie 06442-0277 [email protected] those of you unfamiliar with the tel: 860-767-2237; fax: 860-767-9765 11 ins and outs of editing and layout, editorial: buzz allen: the ulti - 11 this is a pleasurable problem to For submissions or questions: Attn: Ancient Times, P.O. Box 277, mate Drum Corps Dad have. There is nothing worse s Ivoryton, CT 06442-0277 when editing than to find you [email protected] 12 tel: 508-847-4460 have little material and thus be Muster news froi m the Advertising: forced to spread things out to “kill For rates and availability contact: young Colonials The Ancient Times, P.O. Box 277, space.” A font can only be so large 62 North Main St., Ivoryton, CT 13 before it becomes gratuitous. 06442-0277 tel: 508-847-4460 tribute to the 1h 950s 14 I hope the selection of articles the Company of Monumentals and photographs here pleases. We Fifers & Drummers have some historical selections, in - President: Sylvia Hooghkirk, 860-526-9944, 14 cluding a timely piece on Con - [email protected] first Vice President: Mark Logsdon, 586-247-1775, Western Wint d cord’s Old North Bridge for [email protected] Patriot’s Day, as well as news second Vice President: Bill Bouregy, 860-526-1433, 16 [email protected] from the vast world that lies be - secretary: Sarah Brown, 860-399-7572, off to California: More [email protected] news from the West yond New England. I have also treasurer: Jack Doyle, 415-334-5707, 16 decided to solicit some contribu - [email protected]

Archives / museum Curator: Jim Clark, 860-346-3232, n 18 tions from fifers and drummers [email protected] facilities Co-manager: Kevin Brown, 860-399-7572, Fasnacht 2010 who are involved with musical [email protected]

i groups at the margins of the membership Chair: Mark Reilly, 703-975-5517, mem - 19 [email protected] “mainstream” fife and drum com - music Chair: Dominick Cuccia, 203-405-1176, music - DraM scholarship munity, as a humble attempt to [email protected] the Company store: Sandy Bidwell 20 create some dialogue about the The Company of Fifers & Drummers, Inc. traditional music we play. In this Company Store 2009 President’s report 18 P.O. Box 277, Ivoryton, CT 06442-0277 companys - issue, we have what I think is an [email protected] Ancient Times is published quarterly by The Com - 20 interesting piece from The Colo - pany of Fifers & Drummers, Inc., Museum, Music Li - a Message from the nial Minstrels, and in the summer brary, Headquarters, P.O. Box 277 Ivoryton, CT. 06442-0277, tel: 860-767-2237 treasurer edition keep your eyes peeled for a contribution from Americlique. The publication (ISSN0091-7176) seeks to keep individual, institu - 21 tional, and drum corps members throughout the world informed As always, please refer to the primarily on the activities of traditional American fife and drum the 2010 Funding effort guidelines for submission, and corps known as Ancients. The Company maintains a museum and through Ct’s naa Pro - 22 don’t hesitate to contact me with headquarters on two-plus acres. It seeks to perpetuate the histori - gram cal significance and folk traditions of American field music and to your ideas, articles, and, when foster the spirit of fellowship among all fifers and drummers. Founded in 1965, The Company of Fifers & Drummers, Inc. is a tax- 22 necessary, complaints. exempt, tax-deductible, non-profit corporation. the Muffled Drum Deirdre Sweeney

on the cover: the Minute Man statue Editor, Ancient Times at Concord’s old north bridge 2 Ancient times

A MOTLEy CREW CONNECTS MuSIC, The Colonial Minstrels discover

By AL PETTy & BRIAN PLuMB Dance and Song Society host dances bers at many of the same reenact - t has happened at most musters. across the country where people per - ments, musters, or dances for years. you may have experienced it form traditional music and enjoy until recently, we had never all played Iyourself. After a long day of dances from the 17th through the 19th together at once. So you might say that marching, playing, performing, ap - centuries. Traditional dancers do not we are back together again for the first plauding and (perhaps) drinking; after regularly mix with living historians or time. Along with the Minstrels, we the evening jam has been stopped by fifers and drummers. The music and started the country dance group called the local constabulary and the loud in - spirit of the dance does, however, bind the Wayside In-steppers. The two struments have been put away, a hush us all together. groups have had an open colonial falls over the muster encampment. But At its faire, the Sudbury fifes and music and dance session every Tues - it is a hush that carries with it the drums played music for a brief day night at Longfellow’s Wayside strains of a quieter music. A guitar demonstration of country dance by Inn for the past two years. Various here, a flute there, a group having an the Sudbury Militia. This demonstra - members of the In-steppers have been impromptu Irish session will be the tion was an attempt to maintain a con - demonstrating colonial dance at local focal point for those who just can’t nection between dance and the festivals, reenactments and celebra - stop playing at 11. colonial music of the fife and drum tory events. Meanwhile at reenactments all over community. But just as many reenac - the country, a surprisingly similar tors do not play very much music but phenomenon is occurring. Reenactors just reenact the part of musicians, who find themselves in the small these dance demonstrators were those hours recovering from a strenuous who only reenacted dancing but did day of living history find overly tired, not dance recreationally. Fortunately, somewhat sober musicians huddled in there has been a growing community the dark playing traditional music on of folks who do not just reenact music traditional instruments. and dance but are active, year-round In both of these cases musicians who participants in music and dance have never seen each other before find groups. Many also engage in a colo - and share common tunes. That, after nial craft such as tailoring or tin- all, is what it means to be part of a tra - smithing. dition. They pull out beautifully hand - We started the Colonial Minstrels as made folk instruments and find a means of truly living the traditions common ground as musicians have that we love so much. The music and done since before the invention of the dance style were those seen and heard wheel. in colonial taverns or played by itiner - A third group that participates in ant musicians. The Minstrels are our great musical tradition is the coun - formed of musicians who have been try dancers. Groups like the Country playing with a few of the other mem - Ancient times 3

DANCE AND COLONIAL CRAFT an already extensive repertoire

As the Minstrels try to carry their century dance called The Convention tunes where appropriate. Both of his message of unity to the various com - that is danced to York Fusiliers . books should be in the library of the munities we are surprised at how Just as fifers and drummers rely serious traditional musician. They much each of these groups have in heavily on the two Company books, have the tunes that reenactors jam to common and how little they have to colonial dance musicians have the two along with many eminently fifeable do with each other. Reenactors have Barnes Books. The Barnes Books con - tunes. fifers and drummers albeit with a lim - tain tunes (not drumming) researched The Colonial Minstrels play from ited repertoire. There is not an Irish and compiled by Peter Barnes; ar - such primary sources as John Griffiths’ session where the musicians don’t guably the most famous dance musi - Dancing Master, 1788, John and William play Blackberry Blossoms , Larry O’Gaff , cian in the country. His band, Bare Neal’s Choice Collection of Country or Rakes of Kildare : all of which are in Necessities, pioneered traditional Dances , 1726, and tunes culled from The Company books. Dancers often dance music at the same time the tra - other archives. The Wayside In-step - find themselves dancing to such jam ditional fife and drum idiom was pers are blessed with the award-win - session standards as Morpeth Rant , Lil - being revived. His books are painstak - ning George Fogg as dance consultant. liburlero , Welcome Here Again , or Jeffer - ingly researched, with alternate titles George has published several mono - son and Liberty . There is even an 18th and publication dates provided for the graphs of 18th century dances and music transcribed from the hand-writ - ten “dance diaries” kept by certain American gentlemen around the time of the American Revolution and the Minstrels make free with these tunes as well. some members of the Colonial minstrels played It seems that too often the dancers, for the sudbury faire in musicians and reenactors have be - 2009. Pictured here from come too inwardly focused in the left to right are: matt brench of the stow min - same way some fife and drum corps uteman Company, brian can become too wrapped up in their Plumb of the sudbury An - own music and traditions to see what cients, fiddler frank smith, matt Plumb on gui - a wide world of ancient music there is. tar, and Al Petty also of We could all make better music and sudbury. most recently the have more fun if we borrowed more minstrels provided music for dancers at the daffodil from each of our separate traditions. ball in weston, mA. That we can have a weekly dance made up of almost equal parts of colo - nial and federalist reenactors, tradi - tional dancers and fife and drum folk is cont. on p.4 Ancienttimes 4 cont. from p. 3 a testament to the power our great musical craft has to bring people together. ~.,I.~ -... . ,.._ . ... ··...;. . - ,., , .... - -- ~ - - The Colonial Minstrels are re- ... ii ....._ l ~ ,.... _ , I!"!!!"' ' • _. - • !;._ - ll!I!' • ~ ·_,,,, .,,., . r Ii. . - - - . . ~ ":J. ... ·- . connecting these three worlds for ,;.J.,," .• , •. ,• .. ,'lf · ': 1, ,r· - the sheer joy of it.

~ 1 ~ .. i ) r.l - --L - • •--i- .... ,...

[. I . .. I.I' .. -=-- ! - ·-'"""" '

11111!11 ' ~ I!"" . - ...-• i . _. - -. 111'1· I ... -~ .~ ' : . - I . I • ,· _,__ _ , I'."""'-' -•- ··-II!_ - ~ • ,.- l ' - • I Among the Colonial min- 11 I _ LL-' . 11 • -••-•it strels’ favorite tunes is a -- ... _ slip jig called Why Did l you Promise to Marry me?. included with the sheet music are the dance figures recorded some 250 year ago. their fledgling website, www.colo- nialminstrels.com, has a video performance of this piece and others. the group would like to share this tune with the fife and drum community as it makes a fun piece on the fife as well as other wood- winds and strings.

imPortAnt notiCe sweetheart flutes When your mailing address changes, 32 South Maple Street, Enfield, CT 06082 please notify us promptly! fifes: Colonial & Civil War models; Cloos repros; Folk & Modern “engineered” - in many keys The Post Office does not advise us. flutes: Irish style - keyed or keyless; Baroque, and Renaissance Write: Membership Committee P.O. whistles: D&C - For Jigs & Reels! Box 227, Ivoryton, CT 06442-0227 Send for Brochure and/or Antique & Used flute list or email: membership@companyoffife- Tel:(860) 749-4494 Email: [email protected] anddrum.org On the Web: www.sweetheartflute.com Ancient times 5 THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME A Misadventure in ‘Tuneology,’ Or Beware Your Choice of Theme Music When Seeking World Domination

By DEIRDRE SWEENEy inheritance from them. And when we 1997, that I played The Girl for some dig into this music, we can see the Italian friends and they insisted that it ears ago, as I played through connections between disparate (and was a song about nutella (the delicious Tom ás Ó Cannain’s excellent desperate) peoples - the soldiers of chocolate-hazlenut spread). ycollection Traditional Slow Airs American and British armies, the im - While unceasingly popular, The Girl of Ireland , I came across a lovely piece, migrant tenements of big cities from has garnered her share of controversy. An Spailp ín F ánach (translates from the New york to Liverpool, the men In 1913, Frank Kidson, an English mu - Irish as The Wandering Laborer ). After pressed into service on the high seas sicologist and folksong collector, and noodling around with it for a while I and those who defected – and dis - W. H. Grattan-Flood, an Irish musicol - realized I’d already been playing a re - parate times. And I believe these con - ogist, got into quite a tiff in a journal markably similar tune for years: The nections, and this kind of collective of the day, The Musical Times (2). Is The Girl I Left Behind Me . In the Sudbury affirmation and authorship of tradi - Girl English or Irish? Mr. Kidson, who Ancients, we step off to The Girl at the tional music, can help us rediscover had recently contributed an article on start of every parade, and the once-a- truths we were perhaps encouraged the question to Oxford’s Grove’s ‘Dic - decade failure to do so evokes a dis - to forget. tionary of Music and Musicians’ (a five pleasure not unlike taking an The majority of us probably know volume set, now available online), unsuspecting gulp of sour milk. Then The Girl as a Civil War marching tune. championed the English claim; Mr. I nearly forgot all about my discovery Like many tunes coming from the Grattan-Flood, the Irish claim (partic - until I heard a recording of the Irish broadside ballad tradition, it not only ular as pertaining to that old air, An vocalist Cathy Jordan, of Dervish, has lyrics, but moreover it has count - Spailp ín F ánach ). In dispute were sev - singing the same. less variations on those lyrics, and as eral factors: the earliest printed man - So, the other week, during an excess with many of these tunes, we meet the uscript of the tune (1770, 1810, and so of unscheduled time, I thought I usual women, Sally, Betsey, and on), the location of said manuscripts, might go and see what I could find Peggy (only outdone in the Irish sub - the actual notation of the tune, its title out about the origins of The Girl . set of this tradition by Nancy and as The Girl or Brighton Camp , the pro - I realize to some it may seem a bit Mary), renowned for breaking hearts nunciation of Brighton or “Brightelm - like a fool’s errand to start chasing with wild abandon on both sides of stone,” its “decided Irishisms” or lack down tunes and their notational and the Atlantic. The narrator, in this case, thereof, and, of course, anything that lyrical variants: that greatly dread is some poor unfortunate whisked either man had written on the topic. combination of the academic and the away to fight here or sail there with no In his rejoinder to Grattan-Flood’s inane. However, I think it is important definite date of return: “In Carlow challenge to his Grove piece, Mr. Kid - to remember that the music we play is town I lived I own / All free from son was in rather a tizzy, accusing the not the music once found in the impe - debt and danger. / Till Colonel Reilly other gentleman of “unjustly” quoting rial drawing rooms of the high and listed me /To join the Wicklow and misquoting him and disclaiming mighty. Most, if not all, is the music of Rangers.”(1) “the Irish bull.” the down and out. These “down and Likewise The Girl – or Brighton Camp It is noteworthy to recall that this ar - out,” shunted to history’s margins as it was sometimes called – was well gument occurred amidst the years of then and now, left us meager records known as a favorite marching tune of the Gaelic Revival, and several years of their daily lives. We forget “ancient the British Army in the 1800s. And lest before the 1916 Easter music” is, in many ways, our primary I forget there was the time, back in Rising in Dublin, and cont. on p. 6 Ancienttimes 6 cont. from p. 5 thus more lish language counterpart (4). In its and folklore of all varieties and in all was at stake later incarnation as The Girl I Left Be- fields, from music to archaeology, at in these arguments of competing Eng- hind Me, what was once a tale of the the same time that nationalist aspira- lish and Irish claims than we might colonized spailpín, our poster boy for tions began simmering across Europe. recognize today. unfortunately, nei- the high cost of imperialism, became In Ireland, a number of men assem- ther man really did much to advance the marching tune for the armies of bled impressive collections of dance analysis to anything resembling a con- colonization in the British Empire and music – including tunes familiar to the clusion, to the extent a decisive con- the American West. The Girl was fife and drum community – although clusion is possible. For my part, it among the marching tunes of Custer’s they had a tendency to domesticate appears intuitively more likely The Seventh Cavalry as they conquered the music of their colonized subjects, Girl started as an Irish-language song Native American lands. Custer’s un- rendering it more palatable to the and then had its melody adopted by pleasant fate then is perhaps fitting aforementioned imperial drawing English speakers, as that is in keeping given his peculiar and possibly jinxing rooms of London and Dublin. Both with the trends of the English linguis- musical tastes. And I think it is equally Kidson and Grattan-Flood are heirs to tic and cultural conquest of Ireland at fitting that the besieged British forces this revival in the study of folk cul- that time. during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 ture. Personally, I enjoy the potential his- were serenaded by rebel Indian 3. See “Fresh Light on Old English toric irony of The Girl as an Irish tune. bandsmen playing, what else, but The Airs,” by Grattan-Flood, The Musical In the Irish original dating to the late Girl I Left Behind Me. Times vol. 54 No. 843; “The Girl I Left 18th century, the spailpín, who evi- Behind Me: The English Point of dently has no interest in the ubiqui- Footnotes: View,” by Frank Kidson, vol. 54 No. tous Peggy or Sally as she is never 1. Taken from p. 36 of Colm O 846; and in response to Kidson’s arti- mentioned, is a migrant laborer, “de- Lochlainn’s Irish Street Ballads, 1960 cle, “To the Editor of ‘The Musical pending on my health / walking the Citadel Press, Ny: one of many ver- Times’” by Grattan-Flood, vol. 54 No. dew early in the morning / catching sions of the lyrics (American, English 847. all the illnesses going around,” driven or Irish) readily available in books or 4. Translation from the Dervish by the destruction of home to pursue online. album, At the End of the Day, 1995 Kells a soldier’s life abroad in the army of 2. The 19th century witnessed a Music, Garden City, Ny. France, not unlike his oft-roving Eng- greatly renewed interest in antiquities

94. A.n SpaiJpin fanach J. !;IQ - - fl fittEr~- Jn J JJ 11:J -j'µ I ( ltq the sheet music for An spailpín fánach as included ...------~- ---...... __ in tomás Ó Canainn’s collec- tion, traditional slow airs of ireland. You can decide for yourself if there is a strong resemblance between the old air and popular marching tune. ~d'JJJr· ~1r r r v I r H · 1r r r EM reprinted with permission of the author.

ti, E£:r-fflJJl1J~ l]JJ I • ) A "· Ancient times 7 CONCORD’S OLD NORTH BRIDGE

Concord bridge, 1875 By BRIAN PLuMB nial attire is always welcome to any of us in the fife and come along and join the fun with drum community have ex - Sudbury. Just show up at the town Mperienced the thrill of hall. Afterwards we picnic at the marching down Punkatasset Hill to Wayside Inn. the Old North Bridge in Concord. Ap - The Old North Bridge’s history proaching the bridge, the fifemaster is well known, but in this April calls out The White Cockade , similar to edition of the Ancient Times , it how the young fifer Luther Blanchard seemed appropriate to bring it up may have played it on that fateful again to honor those fallen patriots morning of April 19, 1775 (1). (particular the fifer Luther Blan - Several fife and drum and militia chard, who died 5 months later groups do the annual pilgrimage to from wounds suffered there) and the site. Among them are Concord, also perhaps to stir up a fond Lincoln, Acton, Bedford, and Sudbury. memory or two you may have The march to the bridge is, in a sense, from playing at the Bridge. the kickoff for the fife and drum sea - The North Bridge today is a 2005 1875 monument dedication son for many local groups. restoration of a 1956 bridge. The 1956 ground” and wanted it recognized The Sudbury Ancients for example bridge is the fifth bridge to occupy this and protected for future generations. march the 10 mile route roughly taken site since the battle (it is not clear how Finally, now sixty years or so later, by The Sudbury Minute and Militia many were there before the battle; the citizens were determined to properly Companies. The event begins every first reference to one is 1654). The commemorate the event’s significance year at 6am on the 19th of April, no bridge that was on this site in 1775 was before all of the participants passed matter what day of the week it falls on. taken down somewhere between 1788 away. While a smaller tribute was During the march, we play every tune and 1793. For nearly 90 years, no made on the 50th anniversary of the in our repertoire. Our current fifemas - bridge occupied the crossing. battle (on the town square), nothing ter Al Renzi has a list of well over 200 By the late 1830's the town was at its was done at the actual site of the Old tunes to call this year. Stepping off, economic and political pinnacle and North Bridge. there’s a nip in the air that makes one’s looking to solidify its place in Ameri - With donated land in hand and hands a bit cold, but the marching and can history. As a suburb of Boston and funds available, work on the monu - playing gets your blood going quick. county seat of Middlesex County, ment began in late 1835. It was Knowing that 235 years ago some very Concord was making a bid to be one thought that the monument could be heroic men did the same march, will - of the major commercial centers west completed by April 19, 1836. Ralph ingly and under much different cir - of Boston. Highlighting the town's role Waldo Emerson, a notable figure in cumstances, certainly puts our efforts in the revolution was seen as an im - the town of Concord, created his and inconveniences in perspective. portant part of that campaign. Fur - poem, “Concord Hymn,” for this 1836 I’m mentioning this event because thermore, there were many concerned dedication anyone from any corp wearing colo - citizens who considered this “sacred event. Alas, cont. on p. 8 Ancient times 8 cont. from p. 7 other delays in attendance according to the news - 1909 by a cement bridge resembling caused this date to slip, and Emerson’s paper of that time, The Yeoman’s the original (for a time, automobile poem was finally delivered on July 4, Gazette . The article went on: “The as - traffic was permitted). In 1955, Hurri - 1837, the date the monument was ac - sembled multitude then retired in per - cane "Diane" wiped this bridge out, so tually dedicated (so technically the fect stillness and order, highly it was replaced by the current bridge date on the monument, 1836, is a year gratified and deeply impressed.” in 1956 (refurbished in 2005). Vandals too soon). But still no bridge. It took another tried to dynamite the bridge in 1969, What was interesting about the ded - monument 38 years later to force the but apparently there was no damage. ication ceremony (beside the fact that construction. By 1875, the 100th an - I think we all agree it is a beautiful no bridge was there), was that “Con - niversary of the event, there was and peaceful site. We really are cord Hymn” was not a poem as many much ado about placing a monument blessed to have such remarkable struc - of us learned in school. It was actually (the David French minuteman statue) tures near us that are accessible and a song (ah! “Hymn”), sung to the on the “colonial” side of the river. To able to be shared by all. Fifteen years music of Old Hundredth (wiki “Old reach the other side, a bridge was fi - from now will be the 250th anniver - 100th” and you’ll find a midi file at the nally constructed. sary. If we slow down a bit at the end). The chorus that sung this tune This bridge looked nowhere near musters, maybe we’ll make it. See you from the Concord Academy included what the present bridge looks like. there (I hope). fellow transcendentalist Henry David From photos and descriptions, it had 1. See the Lincoln Minute Men website, www.lin - Thoreau. Emerson was not even there a rustic design and was made of cedar. colnminutemen.org, and click on the historical info the day of the unveiling; he was visit - In one of the photos, you can see the and articles links for: “The White Cockade: A Jaco - ing friends in Plymouth. I always pic - tents used for the centennial celebra - bite Air at the North Bridge?” by D. Michael Ryan tured the great orator there with his tion. for research on the actual playing of this tune. arm on the monument and reciting his The 1875 structure would be washed work with flags unfurling around out in 1888 and replaced by a massive him. It was however a beautiful day, oak unit in 1889 which was washed spirits were high, and one veteran was away again in 1908 and replaced in

two views of Concord’s north bridge, 2010: due to heavy rains and signifi - cant flooding this year, the north bridge promises a wet end to the April 19th march. the road between the bridge and Visitor Center is currently under water. Ancient times 9 In Review... DruM taPs in Dixie THE MEMOIR OF A yOuNG CIVIL WAR DRuMMER By GARy SLATE imprints your mind like nothing else. much longer, death was not always A close second is reading the first heroic, and yet many of his close bout 20 years ago, I was at hand account of those who actually friends found the courage to perform George Carroll’s shop in St. were there. By the time I read Miller’s their duty, day after day. In three AAugustine, Florida, where I first and second book, I felt like I was years, he literally grew up in the army, bought a reprint of Drum Taps in Dixie , a Civil War veteran, and could more like thousands of other underage sol - by Delavan Miller. George told me fully appreciate what he was telling diers. When the war ended, he was a that this book and The Little Fifer’s me. veteran and had seen more than boy Diary by C.W. Bardeen were the only Delavan Miller’s mother had died or man should see in a lifetime. Much two Civil War memoirs of field musi - and his father had left for the war with of that is unsaid but understood, cians he could recommend. I read it at the 2nd Ny Heavy Artillery in 1861. which is why I would recommend the the time and then put it on my book - An officer who had come home to re - book even for young readers. I can shelf, and never gave it another cruit replacements agreed to take 13 imagine Miller telling his story to a thought. Then, I recently stumbled year-old Miller to the regiment, and one-room schoolhouse of children across a website of the 4 River Valleys let his father decide if he could stay. who need to learn what their parents Historical Society, which serves the Those who have lived through a war did during the war. north country of New york State all or two might wonder that any parent To those who are looking for a the way up to the St. Lawrence River. would allow a teenager to go to any drummer’s version of Hardtack and These folks not only sell that same war, but this I have read of, time after Coffee , this may seem to lack the de - reprint ($8.95 + $2 shipping and han - time. Caring parents would choose to tails of daily life and routine, with few dling), but they also have Miller’s se - trust their son to men of the neighbor - specifics to help improve your first quel, More Tales of the Drum , which I hood who had enlisted in the same person impression. To those looking immediately bought and read. company or regiment rather than risk for authentic drum beats to improve For the purpose of this review, I had their son running away from home your knowledge of what they actually to reread Miller’s Drum Taps in Dixie . and enlisting under an alias in a regi - played, not so much. To those with an When I was the about the age of ment of strangers. The risk of death or ancestor in the 2nd Ny Heavy Ar - Miller, I got involved in the Civil War disease may have been equal, but they tillery who hope to find a regimental Centennial. A neighbor and I joined a dreaded the chance of never hearing history, Miller is sparing of the names confederate reenactment group (the of the fate of the missing son; killed, of individuals, or what the regiment 2nd Va. Infantry), mail-ordered our captured, or missing. Neighbors you did beyond the major campaigns and uniforms from New york City, and had known all your life were less battlefields. He does, however, spend were in the middle of the likely to bully or take advantage, and a few paragraphs at the end to detail Hanover/Gettysburg reenactment more likely to act as a surrogate par - why his regiment was in the top ten of week of 1963. We were such unbeliev - ent. Truly, boys the age of Miller were “Fox’s 300 fighting regiments,” those able farbs, and looking back I wonder not held to the same strict discipline as who had the highest percentage of why I didn’t do some basic research, the men. killed and wounded during the war. scour the Rescue Mission clothes bins, Miller was a drummer when he en - Miller’s book is your chance to listen and come up with more historically listed, but even the musician of today to a Civil War veteran reminisce about accurate uniforms. But with all the en - has a hard time imagining total im - what he did in the war, removed after thusiasm of teenagers, we were right mersion into the military schedule of twenty or thirty years of peace, filter - there where it happened, living it just camp duties, daily practice, and learn - ing out much of the blood and gore as it felt and looked to our ancestors, ing military traditions. He started and unthinkable cruelty. His regiment surrounded by a couple of thousand with some rather naive notions of how spent many months building and men and boys doing the same. Living soon the war would end, and how manning the huge net - history can be a vivid experience that easy it is to be a hero. The war was work of forts that grew cont. on p. 10 Ancient times 10 cont. from p. 9 up around stories (about 1904), “real music” was sic, but if I was thirteen again and was Washington. They were assigned to rarely heard from contemporary brass really interested in learning more the Second Corps and used as infantry bands or even young aspiring drum about Civil War musicians, I would shortly before the Second Manassas corps, but occasionally could still be want to read and reread this book. For campaign, and from then on were in heard at gatherings of the GAR, when someone a little older, this is a pleas - some of the heaviest fighting of the “70-years-plus” aged drummers ant way to enlarge your appreciation war in the east. He relates several an - would start jamming. of history by listening to someone ecdotes that any Civil War buff would Like any memoir, there are nuggets who lived through it, came home to appreciate. At one spot he mentions a of gold to be mined from this book. live a peaceful and satisfied life, and friendly rivalry his New york drum There are questions you would like to could always find time to share his corps had with a Massachusetts regi - ask, but you have to be content with memories with other veterans. ment in the same brigade, contrasting what is there. This may not be a clas - his group of boys with their grown men, and their different regional styles: “…Their drum corps was a good one, too, but of course the boys of Cooperman the Second New york thought they were a little better than the Handcrafted Bay State fellows, consequently quite a little rivalry existed be - tween the organizations, and Fifes,Drums, & when the regiments were out for a review or brigade drill the stal - wart drummers from down East Drumsticks would always try to drown out and Repair and Restoration Services for the lads of the Second Heavy. Contemporary and Antique Rope Drums They were all full grown men From log to finished concert-quality instruments, while our drum corps was made Cooperman's drums, fifes, and sticks are the proud up of boys all under eighteen product of over 50 years of dedication to traditional years of age. Their music was al - high-quality workmanship. ways of the “When the Springtime Visitors to our Vermont shop are always welcome. Pick Comes, Gentle Annie,” and up and delivery of repair work may be arranged.

“Chunks of Pudding and Pieces of TM Pie,” style, played in 6-8 time, just Cooperman suited to stalwart men in their 1007 Route 121, P O Box 821, Bellows Falls, VT 05101 ranks; while ours was more of the Voice 802 463 9750 Fax 802 463 4123 Web www.cooperman.com Email: [email protected] “Rory O’More,” “Garry Owen” and “Get-out-of-the-way-Old- Dan-Tucker” sort, which we Bob Parmelee played 2-4 time, better adapted to 90 Creamery Road Durham, CT 06422 the quick-stepping New yorkers by Parmelee of Durham Phone & Fax: 860.349.8233 behind us. We had some dandy E-mail: [email protected] uniforms, too, and I know we were a trim-looking lot in our Specializing in serving the Fife & Drum community since 1983. close-fitting jackets with plenty of Silk screened apparel, totes, umbrellas and more. brass buttons and red trimmings, Our own line of designs on T-Shirts and Sweatshirts are currently and “McClellan caps” setting available at selective historical museums and parks. saucily on the side of our heads...” Or, they may be purchased online at .... (p. 25-26, Miller) www.preservationdesigns.com He laments that as he wrote these Ancient times 11

Buzz ALLEN: THE uLTIMATE DRuM buzz Allen, with the Ancient CORPS DAD mariners, at deep river

By PRISCILLA ALLEN WOOD that prior to moving to Westbrook we we celebrated birthdays and anniver - had attended the Westbrook Muster saries, enjoyed cookouts, picnics, pool am not exactly sure how I ended and were in awe. We moved to town parties and more. up in drum corps formation be - the following week and my parents Eventually Buzz became president Ihind the Westbrook Town Hall signed me up. My dad and mom of the Junior Colonials in the early but there I stood preparing for my quickly made friends with the other 1970’s and he and my mother enjoyed first parade on Memorial Day 1970. I J.C. parents and my father found him - the network of friendships they had do not remember how I came about self spending most, if not all, of his cultivated. My mother did spend a signing up to join the corps, attending spare time working on projects for the good deal of time working on the group rehearsals or any other moment corps as well as The Company of Fifers weekends so my father and I were that led me up to that day. It's been a and Drummers . In no time at all Buzz often off on our own. Of course we long time and my memory does not had officially become a Drum Corps took part in the dutiful carpooling of serve me well. I do remember practic - Dad! corps members and were often chal - ing my sharp right and left hand turns It was not long before Dad’s art stu - lenged by the task cramming my in the backyard and wondering how I dio at home was filled with a multi - snare drum, uniform, flags, banners would ever be able to turn AND play tude of ongoing projects for the Junior and my father’s wheelchair into the the fife at the same time. But there I Colonials and The Company . Different Dodge Dart. Driving hundreds of stood behind the Town Hall wearing logos, muster buttons, programs and miles, sweltering summer afternoons, navy blue socks instead of the stan - various artwork he was working on drive-thru meals, motel stays, camp - dard black, a short-sleeved white shirt would appear on his drafting table. ing in the rain and sleeping on the bus instead of the required long-sleeved Bass drums he was hand-lettering all became part of our weekend rou - with my black tri-cornered hat sitting were filling up the living room, tem - tine and we loved every minute of it! far above the specific 2-fingers width plates and plans for little wooden fig - My father’s friendships spread well above my eye brow. Nonetheless my urines to sell at the J.C. store lined his beyond the Junior Colonials as he be - dad, Buzz Allen, sat in his wheelchair office like a miniature parade. came close friends with our then looking at me just busting with pride. Like most fife and drum families our music instructors Norm Ott and Ken I recall feeling terribly awkward, weekend days were filled with pa - Lemley. This kicked off his connection shorter than the rest of the corps and rades, dedications, musters, competi - to the Ancient Mariners with whom very nervous, but his smile and gentle tions and concerts, and the nights he created countless, wonderful nod of approval was enough to give with socializing. Much of his and my friendships: friendship with people me the courage to march forth and mom’s social time was spent with my who remain in the corps, those who stay in line! dad’s best friend Dick Higgins and his “graduated” to the Sons of the I honestly do not remember how it wife Teddy. Buzz and Dick were as Whiskey Rebellion and those who he all began but for the next decade my Forest Gump described, “like peas now joins at the “Eternal Jam Ses - memories of the Junior Colonials re - and carrots.” They remained best sion.” It seemed only fitting that he main quite clear from that Memorial friends until Dick’s passing in 1980. was asked to become Day forward. My mother reminds me Dad and mom had lots of friends and an honorary member cont. on p. 12 Ancient times 12 cont. from p. 11 of the An - Company of Fifers and Drummers Mu - Corp Family. Last year around this cient Mariners considering he went to seum and all the architectural draw - time when there was an announce - all the rehearsals, owned his requisite ings for that, the numerous manila file ment of an emergency Company meet - red and white stripped shirt, spent folders from his term as Company ing my father phoned and asked me countless hours under their muster president, Ancient Times editor and to attend the Trustees meeting. I was tent and had a fondness for ale. One of much more were never far from his honored to do so and was warmly his greatest fife and drum moments artistically, talented fingertips. His welcomed by the Executive Commit - was when he marched (or in his case dedication extended outside the home tee on his behalf. He had great con - was pushed in his wheelchair) down as at any local muster you could al - cern for the future of The Company and Pennsylvania Avenue during a Bicen - ways hear the sound of Buzz’s voice was proud of the progress and com - tennial Celebration in 1976. He loved as it boomed over the dusty field and mitment made that day. those crazy guys and they loved him you could find me loyally toting cups My father’s life was full of family back....with gusto. of ale to the announcers table saying, and friends and there was no greater Dad’s commitment to The Company “Can’t let your voice go dry Dad.” passion than his love for The Company of Fifers and Drummers was clearly ap - About a decade ago my parents re - of Fifers and Drummers . In the true parent to anyone who stepped into tired to Florida fulltime and Buzz left spirit of fellowship may you raise our home and especially into his stu - behind his days of musters, rehearsals your pewter mugs to my father Buzz dio. His countless hours of work on and meetings but what he missed the Allen, a faithful member of The Com - the Ancient Times were splayed on most were his friends. He was always pany , a man of wisdom and integrity, his drafting table along with a multi - asking me for updates on people and and the ultimate Drum Corp Dad! tude of other projects, inventions and wanted to be up to speed on the who, artwork. His design of the then new what, when and where of his Drum MUSTER NEWS FROM THE YOUNG COLONIALS

By ANITA PLAAGIN and explored the area and the busi - firehouse. And once the jam began, n Friday, August 7, 2009, the nesses within walking distance. they asked the young Colonials to town of Patterson, New york Everyone agreed that this was the per - please hold the muster at their facili - Oprepared for something they fect new home for the muster. ties in 2010. And so begins a beautiful had missed the week before: their an - On Saturday, the young Colonials friendship! nual parade. Each year, the town has led the parade, which began a short, The 2010 muster is scheduled for the a parade but this year’s parade, which walking distance from the muster THIRD weekend of August this year. would have been hosted by the Patter - field. On this beautiful sunny day, the We’re hoping that some of the corps son Fire Department and was sched - young Colonials enjoyed the music of traveling toward Westbrook for the uled for August 1st, had been rained corps such as the Westbrook Drum National Muster may “pop” in. The out. Corps, the marching and maneuver - weekend will begin on Friday, August Luckily, Patterson Fire Department ing of the Marquis of Granby and 20th with a small opening ceremony, had already graciously agreed to let Marlborough Junior Ancients, and a tattoo and jam and the muster will the young Colonials Fife & Drum glimpse into what the future may kick into full swing on Saturday, Au - Corps use their beautiful grounds and hold as they watched the “not so” gust 21st at noon. Please contact pavilion for their 22nd Annual young Colonials alumni take the Catherine Cuccia-Cavallo at Muster, and there was not a drop of stand. 203.775.4234 or by e-mail mad - rain in sight! The firemen ran the concession [email protected] for more details. As the field filled with tents and stand and beer garden and appreci - campers, the muster participants gath - ated the remarks of the muster atten - ered for an impromptu jam session dees on their beautiful grounds and Ancienttimes 13 TRIBUTE TO THE 1950S MONUMENTALS

By GuS MALSTROM organized under the leadership and On Tuesday April 6, 2010 the Mon- guidance of umental City Fife & Drum Corps from Charley "Buck" Baltimore, MD, set aside the evening Soistman. Besides to pay honor and tribute to their 1950 local musical activ- members. Of the known 17 surviving ities, this group 1950 members, six honored us with travelled to New their presence, namely: Bill Malstrom, york and Con- bass; Gus Malstrom, fife; Joseph necticut to take Carter, snare; Luke McCusker, snare; part in competi- members of the 1950s monumentals Charley Kammer, bass; and Billyn tions. The Ny Fife Photograph courtesy of sharon Carter Mojica, snare. Supported by a host of & Drum Associa- other alumni and current members tion awarded the Monumentals hon- do come around, the Monumentals re- these six gentlemen musicians were orary membership in their association. organized in 1992 resurrecting the given a warm welcome. In 1955, the Monumentals were name Monumental City once again A background of the Monumentals awarded “longest distance” at the with the return of several 1950 mem- is in order here. In 1950 the Monu- Deep River Muster- their first non- bers: Mel Doxzon, Joseph Carter and mental City Fife & Drum Corps was competitive muster. Gus Malstrom. I unfortunately for We believe that we have again built various reasons, up a wonderful group of real friends ancient times the Monumentals and musicians who love working and submission guidelines were forced to dis- playing together in all of our activities, Please submit articles and high-resolution photographs band in the latter local and out-of-town. We are proud electronically to the editor: 1950s just as other that our membership now includes [email protected] or corps did around four Life Members in The Company of [email protected] the same time, Fifers and Drummers as well as three In the case of material that cannot be submitted elec- namely: Chas T. honored Jaybirds. Our current mem- tronically, please contact the editor at the above email Kirk Fife, Drum & bership includes one drum major, a address or call (508) 847-4460 to make special submis- Bugle Corps, The four man color guard, 16 fifers, 6 sion arrangements. Sons of Liberty, snares and 2 bass drummers. God upcoming issue 129 submission deadline: and North Bran- bless all the ancient fife and drum June 30, 2010 ford Ancients. corps everywhere. I_ _J As good things

~ -1 I I WANTED: ANCIENT TIMES CONTRIBuTORS NEEDED: ANCIENT TIMES ADVERTISING MANAGER The Ancient Times is always looking for writers, colum- The Ancient Times needs an advertising manager. nists, photographers, and advertisers.

Responsibilities include contacting advertisers well in Contact the editor with interest, ideas and inquiries: advance of issue deadline to make arrangements for [email protected], or their ads, maintaining records of each advertiser’s ac- [email protected] count, ensuring that the art and design director has all necessary information and digital material required for The Ancient Times does accept unsolicited articles, al- each ad, and, when possible, soliciting new advertisers. though we cannot guarantee publication in a specific magazine issue. Email the editor if interested. L _J 14 Ancient times

western wind by left Coast marty

o a large extent, fifing and encampment in the historical town of drumming in the Western In Monterey, CA. TStates has been a struggle to this issue, West - Karen McGuire sent the following find a niche in places without an on - ern Wind looks at three corps: Col - news about the Mile High Fife and going fife and drum history such as orado’s Mile High Fife and Drum Drum Corps, from the Denver, Col - one finds back East. Most of the exist - Corps, New Mexico’s First NM Field orado area. They kicked off their 2010 ing groups in California, Washington, Music, and of course, California’s season with a President’s Day per - Oregon, and New Mexico have found CCDB. All three groups share a deep formance sponsored by a local library. that niche by allying themselves with respect for American history, and Replete with professional historians various historical groups, such as enjoy healthy relationships with reen - and reenactors, Mile High performed reenacting organizations and histori - acting organizations. music from the days of the early pres - cal venues. Many have successfully One of CCDB’s favorite types of idents thru the Civil War period, with convinced parade organizers that a event is a living history encampment. members dressed in both colonial and good fife and drum band is an asset to The encampment provides his - their parades while others exist torical context for the music, as mile high fife and drum Corps at the denve mainly for the joy of the music, play - the fifers and drummers play the ing in public whenever they are camp calls and duties, give in - asked. California Consolidated Drum formative concerts, and provide Band (CCDB) also includes school music when the soldiers are on concerts and a partnership with the the march. Last October CCDB California National Guard in their and the soldiers of the First New schedule. york Legion established such an

CCdb musicians sounding a duty Call at the first new York encampment in monterey, CA Ancient times

Civil War uniforms. The corps performed most east meets west where the south met the north. 15 admirably in the concert format, playing tunes the first new mexico field music and drum beats different from the usual parade left to right: Kathy Palmer (Albuquerque, nm, formerly Connecticut), Art Pope (marana, Az, formerly Connecticut), ron sanders (Albuquerque, nm), selections. bill Jackson (santa fe, nm), hal meyer (tijeras, nm) and Austin Cynecki, bu - Most recently, they marched in the Denver St. gler (Phoenix, Az). Photo by lisa normand-meyer Patrick’s Day Parade, providing field music for the 1st Colorado Infantry. This venue is always exciting for musicians and spectators alike as the soldiers fire their guns frequently on parade and the fifers and drummers play well-known tunes from the Civil War era. This year Mile High fielded five snare drummers, a bass drummer and four fifers, including a new and talented re - cruit marching for her first time. And for the first time in many years, their ranks were filled solely by local members – without treasured guests from New Mexico, or Connecticut by way of New Mexico, or Maryland or Pennsylvania. However, the word is out that guests from the First New Mexico may be joining Mile High to lead the upcoming Independence Day Parade in Monument, Colorado. On this day they will march with the 2nd Colorado in a picturesque mountain Hal Meyer sent the picture above of The First New Mex - community situated just a few miles from the u.S. Air ico Field Music "trooping the line" just before the reenact - Force Academy. Look for them a few weeks later at the ment of the Battle of Picacho Peak, Az, the westernmost Deep River Ancient battle of the American Civil War.

er, Co, st. Patrick’s day Parade Muster! HEALy FLuTE COMPANy Skip Healy Fife & Flute Maker

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5 Division Street Box 2 3 East Greenwich, RI 02818 16 Ancienttimes OFF TO CALIFORNIA... More.. news from the West stePhen sChmitt of Torrance, California sent the Ancient Times-the fol- lowing news and pictures about the 24th Michigan Fife and Drum Corps from Wilmington, CA. They perform about ten times per year and are affiliated with the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum also located in Wilmington, near Los An- geles. Drum Barracks, formerly known as Camp Drum, served as the union Army headquarters in the southwest during the 1860s.

Pictured above: the 24th michigan played for 2009 memorial day celebrations in santa Ana, CA. seated at the left is 98 years-young mary schmitt on tamborine, 24th michigan’s oldest member.

Center top: on september 17th, the 24th michigan played for Constitution day with the daughters of the American revolution in san Pedro, CA. w. alboum hat Co. inC. presents authentic Fife and Drum Corps Hats For the finest quality headwear you can buy. Call or Write:

(973)-371-9100 1439 springfield ave, irvington, nJ 07111 Ancient times 17

Pictured above: in december 2009, the corps performed at the drum barracks Civil war museum.

Center bottom: on febrary 14, 2010, the 24th michigan played at Knott’s berry farm in buena Park, CA. 18 Ancient times fAsnACht 2010

By DAVID PEAR of the Muenster , a cathedral that over - fifteen thousand drummers and fifers looks the Rhine River which divides that participate. you can feel the excitement building the city. There must be at least two Aside from the parade, each group the weekend before Fastnacht: the hundred lanterns. Graphic artists in also performs a specific program. three day festival native to the city Basel paint all the lanterns, including usually a groups plays for about Basel, Switzerland. Not a drum is Freddie Prack and Freddie Otley of twenty minutes and then takes a heard, but the sweet tones of the pic - the Swiss Mariners. Artists also sub - break. Tuesday is children’s day. Be - colo can be heard throughout the city. mit designs for the blagedde which is a cause there is no formal parade on This year Fasnacht celebrated 100 pin worn during Fastnacht. The Tuesday, drummers and fifers join years. blagedde is used to defray the cost of groups that are more or less “pick up The beautiful thing about Fastnacht Fastnacht. groups.” is that it is a family affair. Each clique There are judges along the parade If you love fifing and drumming, has a binkie , youngen , stamm and ulta route who judge the cliques’ costumne you must go to Fasnacht. I will guar - guard section. The binkies are the real and music. Winning cliques receive antee that if you try it you will like it young children around ten years-old; money to defray the cost of the cos - and be “hooked” like me. the youngen are high school age; the tumes and lanterns. There are about stamm are the middle age players; and the ulta guard are the real old players. For Morgenstreich, the first march at interested in An internAtionAl swiss 4 am Monday morning after Ash Wednesday, all four groups play to - muster? gether. A clique may have 150 drum - mers and 150 piccollos or more, like a During my stay in Basel, Switzerland, I took it upon myself to see if big “F Troop.” It is a wonderful sound any Swiss corps was interested in hosting an international muster. In and beautiful sight to see young and the past there have been international musters in Switzerland hosted by old play together. At 4 am all the The Swiss Colonials and other corps. I have talked to members of both lights of the city are turned off and the The Grainfield Fife and Drum Corps and The Wildbunch and all have fifers and drummers take over the city agreed that a muster would have to be a cooperative effort involving all for the next three days. As the sun the Swiss fife and drum corps. The muster would be two to three years comes up Monday morning the fifers in the planning. I would like to find out how many American corps and drummers return home for some would like to attend such a muster. If your group would be interested, sleep. The first of the two formal pa - please e-mail me at [email protected]. rades begin Monday at 2PM. There is also a formal parade or cortege as it is called Wednesday at the same time. C.P. Burdick & Son, Inc. The participants in the cortege de - velop a sujet or subject for the cortege, Four Generations of Warmth usually a satire. The costume and the Fuel Oil/Excavation Services huge, gas-illuminated lantern reflect 24-Hour Service that subject. This year a lot of cliques 860-767-8402 made Kadahfi their sujet . His two sons had misbehaved in Switzerland and Main Street, Ivoryton were prosecuted. In turn Kadahfi im - Connecticut 06442 prisoned two Swiss. The lanterns are displayed in front Ancient times Scholarship awards since inception have totaled $8,541.00. 19 the deeP riVer AnCient muster sCholArshiP trust 6 Elm Street Deep River, Connecticut 06417 Profile of The Deep River Ancient Muster Scholarship

The Deep River Ancient Muster Scholarship was established in 1997 as a charitable organization exclusively dedicated to the encouragement of young people's participation in fife and drum corps activity, especially the Deep River Ancient Muster. The goal of the scholarship is to encourage fife and drum corps to attend the muster through a program that helps young people in the corps with the struggle to meet the financial burden of higher education. The Deep River Ancient Muster, held on the third weekend of every July, is a world famous event, being the oldest and largest annual gathering of fife and drums corps in the world. National Geographic and Time Magazine have recog - nized the muster as a major historical event of Connecticut, and Yankee Magazine featured the muster as its July Event of the First year of the Third Millennium. Many who grow up in the world of fife and drum drift away during their late high school and college years. But the vitality of fifing and drumming, and its goal to keep the spirit of ancient martial music alive, depends greatly on a con - stant influx of interested, motivated people. The youth are our greatest resource in this regard. The scholarship provides an incentive for young people to retain their interest in fifing and drumming, and specifically to participate in the muster. To be eligible for a scholarship award, applicants are required to attend the muster with their corps for two consecutive years. Thus, the scholarship supports higher education, and Deep River's most important annual public event, all at the same time. The details of our program are as follows:

1. Scholarship awards are presented during the stand performance portion of the muster at Devitt's Field.

2. Scholarship Gifts: Our goal is to give two gifts of at least $1,000 each, one each to a fifer and a drummer. We have reached two-thirds of our way to this goal, with the two highest awards at $665 each. When we reach an ad - equate level of funding, we intend to include a gift in the category of "ancillary member" (color guard, rifle bearer, etc.), as well.

3. Scholarship Fund Management.: A Trust has been established. The actual scholarship amounts consist of the income earned on the trust fund from year to year, so that the principal will remain intact and grow, in perpetuity.

4. Criteria for Eligibility: young men and women between the ages of 16 and 25 who belong to domestic fife and drum corps, who have been accepted to or are attending an accredited college or university in the u. S. in a ma - triculated undergraduate or graduate program, who have been an active member of their corps for at least one year prior to the muster, and who attend two consecutive musters with their corps. The applicant's corps is asked to certify that the applicant meets these requirements.

5. Selection of Applicants: Scholarship recipients are selected randomly from the pool of eligible applicants.

6. Funding Solicitation: General public, private foundations, private commercial sector, and fife and drum corps.

Our scholarship awards have helped to fund education for fifers and drummers attending Allegheny College, Bryant College, Community College Of Rhode Island, Connecticut State university, Franklin Pierce College, Hamilton College, Lafayette College, Lebanon Valley College, Loyola College of Maryland, Manchester Community College, Manhat - tanville College, Middlesex Community College, Mount Saint Mary College, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Rhode Is - land College, Three Rivers College, Tunxis Community Technical College, and the university of Connecticut. For further information, please call trustee Bill Bouregy at 860-526-4331 (weekdays) or 860-526-1433 (eves and week - ends). Please send correspondence to 6 Elm Street, Deep River, CT, 06417. Please vote for The Deep River Ancient Muster Scholarship in the Essex Savings Bank Community Investment Pro - gram. Thank you. 20 Ancient times 2009 President’s rePort By SyLVIA HOOGHKIRK ment. . ating revenues and are very important The Junior Fife and Drum Camp to our overall financial performance. rom an operating income view - continues to be our major project and I’d like to thank Sandy Bidwell again point, The Company had another its 2009 revenues constituted about for her efforts with The Company Store, Fsuccessful year in 2009, produc - 46% of total Company revenues. We which has been a reliable fund raising ing about $1,700 more in total rev - had a small Camp surplus in 2009 that source of profit for The Company , more enues than we had in expenses. gets us off to a good start for paying than $3,000 in 2009 to help with oper - However, this was a very narrow op - deposits on the 2010 Camp. Thanks to ating expense. I hope we will have a erating margin, only about 3% of total Cap Corduan, Camp Director, for all volunteer step forward to take over revenues. Although this 2009 financial her efforts on this important project. the store. Perhaps there is a family out performance was enough to cover The Camp is a wonderful representa - there who could run the store to normal Company expenses, we were tion of the mission of The Company : spread the work out, so one individ - not able to add much to our financial youth education and musical heritage ual does not have to carry the whole reserves for large, unexpected future perpetuation. load? expenses, or to fund any major mu - On the negative side, our dues rev - One last thing I would like to em - seum related capital projects, like enues from member corps and indi - phasize is the respect that our mem - archival improvements. viduals were down substantially from bers have to show to the requirements Our balance sheet remains very 2008 by about $3,700 in all classes. of our state beverage license. All strong, having major value in our total This decrease is probably in part due members who use our facilities assets and no debt, with a balance of to the procedural changeover to a sin - should be aware of the rules and about $27,000 in year end savings and gle due date in January for member - should advise any of their guests to checking accounts. On a very positive ship dues which may have delayed abide by these rules as posted in the note, the Endowment Fund gained some payments into 2010. Please note downstairs area. We don’t want to back some of the losses from the poor our efforts to improve the member - lose our license! economy in 2008, ending 2009 with a ship list and procedures for better I hope you will all help contribute to balance of about $69,000. use of the communication and collections. Ex - a successful 2010 for The Company . Endowment Fund is restricted for cluding the Junior Camp, dues from purposes stated in the Trust agree - members are about 40% of total oper -

A messAge from the treAsurer

By JACK DOyLE Donations are a significant source of writing to encourage you to make un - he Company needs your contin - the funds used to support the mu - restricted donations so we can de - ued and ongoing financial seum and its activities. Excluding the velop new programs and make T support. We are no different Junior Fife & Drum Camp, in 2008 do - repairs and improvements to your than any other member supported or - nations comprised 20% of essential museum that will be needed in the fu - ganization. your local PBS station has operating funds. In 2009 donations ture. unrestricted donations are those periodic pledge breaks in order to dropped to $3,000, which is about 40% that can be used wherever there is continue the programming its mem - of the total drop in non-camp related need, rather than being tied to one bers have come to expect. The Girl Company revenue. purpose or program. By making unre - Scouts sell cookies. Churches and The Company is at a point right now stricted donations we will be able to schools hold bake sales. It’s simply where its members need to make a cover operating expenses and other something that must be done by the choice: continue the status quo and critical needs as they arise. organizations involved to not only barely squeak by year after year, or in - While we ended 2009 with about make ends meet but to grow and de - crease the size and frequency of dona - $1,700 more in income than we had in velop. tions so The Company can grow. I am expense, this is a very small margin Ancient times Treasurer’s message cont. (about one month’s 21 operating expense) and it does the 2010 funding effort not leave us with any significant funds for any major proj - through Ct’s nAA ProgrAm ects, such as energy conservation, improvements to the museum building or the archives. By BILL MALING The Company must pay out an average of almost $1,500 per month just to maintain your building and protect he Company made applications in March to the your collection. In 2009, an average month looked like Town of Essex to qualify for funding under the this: TConnecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act. Once our application has been approved by both the town and Heat = $435 the state, it will be up to Company members to find cor - Insurance = $395 porate donors willing to participate. utilities = $347 The first of our two 2010 NAA applications was for Maintenance = $190 $24,500 to fund various Energy Conservation projects at Sanitation = $47 the Museum. Any corporate donor to this Company proj - Security = $30 ect will receive a special 100% tax credit against their CT Total = $1,444 state income tax obligation. This means the donation may cost the corporation absolutely nothing…. and they still This total just covers the fixed expenses to operate the get to deduct the donation on their federal tax return, get - museum and headquarters. In addition, we have to pay ting even more tax reduction benefits. to print and mail the Ancient Times , keep inventory in The The second Company NAA application is for financial Company Store, have Junior activities, the summer concert support of the Junior Fife and Drum Camp and financial series and address whatever other issues arise. help for the Ancient Times . Corporate donors for these Membership dues alone do not cover our needs. I hope projects receive the “standard” NAA tax credit of 60%, you will take the time to take your support to the next plus all the normal tax deduction benefits. level and make a donation. It is my hope that you will If you have any “inside” contacts at CT based corpora - also encourage your fellow Ancients to become members tions, or corporations that do business in CT, please let and make donations in the event they are not doing so al - me know. Because we need access to both the contribu - ready. tions people and the tax people to explain that donations are “no cost” to the corporations, we do have to reach fairly senior levels at the corporations… and do it by the THE COMPANY OF FIFERS & DRUMMERS : end of summer 2010. STORE MANAGER NEEDED In 2009, more than one hundred CT corporations par - ticipated in the CT NAA program, giving a total of After many stellar years running The Company store, $3,400,000 to CT non-profit groups. you can help The our store manager Sandy Bidwell has to retire for per - sonal reasons. This leaves us with a volunteer position Company get an NAA grant by contacting me through my to fill. e-mail address ([email protected]) and offering your sug - gestions of corporations to contact, and someone to talk The Company Store Manager is responsible for arrang - to there, so we can place our solicitation package in the ing for store products to be brought to musters & func - hands of the right management people. tions, having the store manned by volunteers willing The “sales pitch” gets a bit complicated in terms of taxes to handle the sales (canopy, tables, & cash box), mak - and the corporation qualifications to receive the NAA ing sure products are available to internet and postal credits… so we are not asking you to handle the actual customers, filling orders, ordering products for the solicitation… just give us the “entry” into the corporation store and giving reports to the Executive Board. and we will do the rest. The Company will also be solicit - If interested please contact Sylvia Hooghkirk: by ing selected CT corporations by mail, but a personal con - phone 860-526-9944 or email president@companyof - tact greatly improves our chances of success! Please help. fifeanddrum.org 22 Ancient times buzz Allen rolAnd e. benoit Buzz Allen died peacefully at home on March 22nd at the age of 89 after a short bout with pneumonia. He was surrounded by Violet, his loving wife of THE 64 years and their 4 children Christine, MuFFLED Peg, David and Priscilla. Buzz was sur - vived by 2 brothers, 6 grandchildren, 1 DRuM great-grandchild and predeceased by a daughter Louise and a son Stephen. Buzz lived in Sarasota, Florida and much enjoyed The Company of his buzz Allen, 89 friends and particulary enjoyed the cli - honorary member, An - mate. Florida was the perfect terrain for cient mariners Buzz as he was able to roll much to his the Company of fifers & heart’s content to most destinations drummers nearby with one local, casual spot march 22, 2010 named Cha Cha Coconuts as his regular favorite. Here he met his buddies 3 times a week at 4pm and just before he passed away he asked that his service roland e. benoit, 84 be "on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday Ancient mariners fife at 4pm" so that his happy hour buddies and drum Corps could come. september 20, 2009 Florida became the perfect inspiration Roland E. Benoit of North uxbridge, for his artwork as he was very busy MA passed away early Sunday morn - painting beautiful landscapes and trop - ing September 20, 2009, at the age of 84. ical birds inspired by the view of the He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sarasota Bay just outside his living Theresa “Terry” (Murphy) Benoit, room window. seven children, six daughters and sons- Jim edington, 93 Buzz spent much of his time reminisc - in-law, 14 grandchildren and one great- fifer, sons of the ing about his days of fife and drum, re - grandson. whiskey rebellion calling good friends and the memorable Roland was a longtime fife and drum september 25, 2009 times he had. Buzz and Violet have en - enthusiast. Basically, he had little joyed many wonderful years together choice, as most of his children were with frequent visits from family in a members of the Capt. Buxton/15th warm and wonderful home on the Mass Fife and Drum Corps of uxbridge water. since the early 1960s, under the direc - daniel leslie malstrom, The community, his friends and his tion of the late Benjamin P. “Benny” 70 family have suffered a huge loss and he Emerick. Color guard, monumen - will be greatly missed. Mr. Benoit chaperoned many corps tal City Ancient fife & by Priscilla Allen Wood events, narrated special performances drum Corps on several occasions, and made the trek July 7, 2009 to most Deep River and Westbrook Musters to watch the corps perform. He was also honored that his three oldest sons were members of The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps during the 1970s. In his early 50s, Roland joined the An - cient Mariners of Guilford, CT, after Ancient times they played in uxbridge’s 250th Anniversary parade. He always demanded the best of us.” It was his phi - 23 proudly carried a harpoon in the Mariners’ color guard for losophy to encourage his “kids” to pursue their education over 20 years, happy to finally be marching in front of his and go to college - a fairly rare thought in the 1940s and five sons who were playing in the Mariners’ fife line. 1950s. If your grades were not to his liking, he’d suspend Roland graduated from Northbridge High School in you from the corps. 1942 and joined the u.S. Army, serving in the 14th Ar - For more than 40 years he was also heavily involved in mored Division in France and Germany. He was wounded the NyS Fife & Drum Association as a judge on fife, color at the Battle of the Bulge, and earned the Purple Heart and guard, drum major, appearance and timing. Jim was also Bronze Star, among other awards. Mr. Benoit was a long - one of the architects of the Northeastern States Champi - time member of the American Legion post in uxbridge, onship Competition. The first one in 1950 was held in a following WWII. Bronx American Legion Post in St. Benedict’s parish. He Mr. Benoit worked for 20 years at Whitin Machine was a proponent of Ancient music, even though all the Works in Whitinsville, MA as a machinist after he left the corps’ he taught were in the Modern class. His fife lines army. He then took his knowledge as a master tool and die learned as many quicksteps and hornpipes as they did maker to school as a machine shop teacher, upon the open - marches. In the stairwell of The Company Museum, there is ing of the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical a picture of the Geronimo Field Music at an early Deep High School in upton, MA in 1966, and retired in 1986. River Muster (1950 or ’51 with only 10 or so corps in atten - Three sons, a son-in-law and a granddaughter graduated dance). Jim, along with his good friend Ed Olsen and for - from the vocational school, and two grandsons are cur - mer fife student Jim Douglas, comprised almost half the rently enrolled, one of them to graduate this summer. fife line of GFM. Roland was buried with full military honors at the VA Jim’s relationship with St. Anselm’s ended when the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA on Sept. 24, 2009. corps disbanded in 1963. Its legacy of numerous champi - by Paul Benoit, Fife Major, 15th Mass Regt Field Musick onships and a long line of superb fifers can all be credited to him. His next stage in drum corps was at Mother Cabrini High School: an all girl fife, drum and bell unit in upper Jim edington Manhattan. While not a competition corps, it performs at dozens of concerts and parades throughout the NyC area Drum Corps is a hobby you can readily engage in all all year long. Jim ran and taught this group for 27 years your life. In a few cases, some have lived to an advanced until his retirement in 1992. He was succeeded by George age and became too infirm to continue. So, at some point, Peragine, one of his St. Benedict’s fife students. The corps you no longer see them. I’ve known a few people like this. is still going strong. In his later years, he continued to play. This one in particular is Jim Edington from the Bronx, born At age 74 in 1990, Jim joined Ed Olsen once more to play in 1917. Jim’s father was a fifer in a few drum corps, pri - in the Sons of the Whiskey Rebellion. For about four years, marily the 69th Regiment (“The Fighting Irish”) in Man - he paraded with them as well as attended several West - hattan. It was inevitable that he too would be a fifer. In brook Musters. 1924, his father brought him to one of the best junior drum For these last ten years, Jim had become too infirm to corps in the Bronx, if not all of New york City: St. Anselm’s travel from the St. Patrick's Nursing Home in the Bronx. Fife Drum and Bugle Corps. By 1931 he was its fife instruc - He was constantly visited by friends and students from St. tor and lead drum major. After a few more years, he had Anselm’s, Mother Cabrini and St. Benedict’s. He died Sep - charge of the corps as musical director, drill instructor and tember 25, 2009 at the age of 93 with several Mother overall managing director. No easy job for a corps with 200 Cabrini alumnae at his side. If the story of New york City members. His fife arrangements for St. Anselm’s of Second drum corps in the 20th century were to be written, James Connecticut Regiment* and Old Comrades* were near leg - Edington would be its central character if not hero. endary in competition. He also created a New york style * Recording available on youtube.com at the links below of playing fife, further refined and elevated by John Mc - or search BronxFifer: Donagh, a student of his in the late 30’s. In 1939 Jim began Second Connecticut to teach fife at St. Benedict’s, another drum corps in the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJF3BqPxec Bronx. There, he can be credited with almost instanta - Old Comrades neously improving them to a top position in competition. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pap3dQXSeqM One of his St. Anselm’s students, Helen Griffin, stated “Jim by George Carteris cont. on p. 28 was a hard taskmaster and took excuses from no one. He Ancient times 24 cont. from p. 27 Daniel passed away quietly on July trous, and Tom Connolly to mention 7, 2009 with his 5 siblings, niece and a few. DANIEL L. MALSTROM his godson nephew, Daniel, at his Dan was also very proud to have bedside, thus ending a five year long marched with Lancraft at the West - battle with cancer. This was just six brook Muster in their famous Indian days before his good friend Ed Olsen color guard outfits. He also took part died. in the Wednesday clean-up days at For 15 years, Daniel proudly carried The Company museum for several the American Flag for the Monumen - years. tal City Ancients of Baltimore, Mary - At the cemetery, after the ceremony, land despite the last 3 years battling the Monumental fifers and drummers the onset and effects of cancer. stayed to play several tunes to honor Dan was the most dedicated and their beloved friend and member Dan. beloved member of the Monumentals The Malstrom Family hosted a thank and was the fourth brother to join the you party for the Monumentals as a Baltimore Ancients following Gus, Bill gesture in return for all of the love, and Jack. prayers and attention they showered Dan loved everyone and always had on Dan during his 17 years as a Mon - a wave and a smile for all who passed umental. by the way. Dan earned the friendship Good bye Danny boy, we love you of good friends like Ed Olsen, Bob and we miss you. Redican, Hugh Quigley, El Arsenault, by Gus Malstrom Ed Classey, Jay Tuomey, Roy Wa -

in memorY of KAthleen mArie KellY

Chester fife and drum Corps september 16, 1951 - January 19, 2009

Washington Irving once said, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” No truer words have ever been spoken. As peace slowly overcomes grief, we carry you in our hearts. With every beat of the drum the memory of your kindness is confirmed; With each trill of the fife your laughter rings; With each step marched we recall your resilience, and in every random act of kindness we feel your presence. Ancienttimes 25 the Company Item# Description Qty Price Total store BK001 The Company Music Book - Vol.I $19 BK002 The Company Music Book - Vol. II $24 Mail Order Form BK003 The Company Music Book - Vol. III $15 BK024 The Company Music Book - Vol. IV $15 BK004 Camp Duty Music Book (CFD) $18 shiP to: BK005 The Muffled Drum (CFD) $5 BK006 Tunes of the Hudon Valley - Vol.I (Attanasio & Grady) $10 Name BK007 Tunes of the Hudon Valley - Vol.II (Attanasio & Grady) $14 BK008 Camp Dupont Music Book $7 Address BK009 Chas. T. Kirk Fife Music Book $15 BK010 American Rudimental Method Drum Book (Classey) $7 BK011 Better, Stronger, Faster (Bill Hart) $10 City BK012 25 Tunes to make Your Face fall Off (Lussier) $7 Music Books BK013 John McDonagh Fife Instruction Manual $12 State BK014 110 Military Drum Duets (Munier) $12 BK015 40 Rudimental Drum Beats (Perrilloux) $7 zip BK016 14 Modern Contest Solos (Pratt) $7 BK017 The New Pratt Book - Contest Solos for Snare Drum ( Pratt) $10 BK018 Rudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers (Pratt) $13 imPortAnt! in case we need to BK019 The Solo Snare Drummer - Vol. I (Pratt - Schinstine - Moore) $10 contact you about your order: BK020 Sturtze Drum Book $19 Phone: BK021 Sons of Liberty Music Book $14 BK022 Roy Watrous Book $12 Email: CD001 The Company Music Book CD - Vol. I (set of 2) $16 CD003 Camp Lincoln (Emerick) $16 Make Check Or Money CD004 200 Years of Fife & Drum in America (N.Y. Regimentals) $16 Order Payable to: AP001 The Company Cap, embroidered $22 the Company of Fifers & AP002 The Company Cap, screened $15 Drummers, inc. AP003 The Company Jacket, blue - (circle size) M L XL XXL $30 Please send this order form AP004 The Company Polo Shirt, blue - (circle size) S M L XL XXL $24 with your payment to: AP005 The Company Sweat Shirt, blue - (circle size) S M L XL XXL $22 AP006 The Company T-Shirt, blue - (circle size) S M L XL XXL $12

Company store Apparel AP006N T-shirt, natural, CFD Logo (circle size) M L XL XXL $12 the Company of AP007 The Company T-Shirt, blue, Child - (circle size) M L $10 AP008 T-Shirt, natural, Flag Drum - (circle size) L XL $14 Fifers & Drummers AP009 Jaybird T-Shirt - (circle size) M L XL XXL $12 P.O. Box 277 (add $2 for XXL on all shirts above) Ivoryton, CT 06442-0277 OM001 The Company 25th Anniversary Pin $3 OM002 The Company Lapel Pin $4 Shipping & Handling OM003 The Company Museum Pin $3 OM004 Muster Up a Meal Cookbook (CFD) $6 up to $9.99 $4 OM005 The Company Patch, embroidered $4 $10-$49.99 $6 OM006 The Company Portfolio, blue nylon, zippered $8 OM007 The Company Umbrella $16 $50-$99.99 $8 OM008 The Company Window Decal $2 $100-$199.99 $10 OM010 History of the Conn. Fifers & Drummers Association $4 Other Merchandise $200 or over $12 OM011 John McDonagh in Fife & Drum, A Biography $5 OM012 The Company Mug (Pewtarex) $30 Total Amount Due OM013 Spirit of ‘76 Shot Glass $4 (from total at right) OM014 The Company Coffee Mug $5 SubTotal $ Shipping & Handling (see chart at left) $ __$ 1 ____Connecticut Residents Add 6% Sales Tax (Apparel_____...____.___.._ not taxable) $ TOTAL $ Alan J. P. Thompson, Sculptor

Marching Colonial Drummer

Original, limited edition 21” High - 4” X 8” Base $1,350 - Bronze casting $850 - resin, bonded bronze (631) 271-4845 [email protected] Website: ajptsculptor.com