Vol 7 No 3 Page 1 Published by The Company of Filers & Drummers, Inc. Vol. VII No 3 Sun,mer, 1980 DICK HIGGINS DIES Deep River Juniors Mark 25 Years Swiss Mariners Visit Started Ancients' Fund Deep River Once Again Dick Higgins died suddenly on April 28, The Swis, Mariners of Basel, Switzerland leaving five drum corps youngsters, his wife arc celebrating IO years as an organized unit Theodora, known as "Teddy" to her Ancient .. by appearin~ at the 1980 Deep River Muster friends, and a legacy of having conc,ived the with their brother corps the Ancient basic ideas for the Ancients' Fund, of which Mariners, Connecticut, which marks its own he served as the fim and only chairman until 21st anniversary this year. his passing. Led by founder Freddy Bruder, retired A former member of the Executive Com­ Swiu snare drum champion and an original mittee of THE COMPANY, D,ck Higgins member of the famous Radabang Swiss was more than a drum corps parent. T hrough Drum Quartet which appeared at Deep River his interest in the Ancient philosophy and his in 1969, the Swis, Mariners will field 19 endless hours devoted to -..orking with the Jr playing members for their tour of Connec­ Colonials of Westbrook and then the An­ ticut, including five snare drummers and two cients· Fund, he became one of those rare bass. Bruder now ,pecializn in American­ among us - a man who truly had the An­ style bass drumming with the Swiss Mariners, cient spirit, and yet all he could do was ap­ while another original member of the preciate the fifing and drumming - he did Radabangs, Walter Madder, plays snare not play an instrument. drum with the unit. Ex.cuti-. of a construction product, com­ The Swiss Mariners were met at the pany and a pharmacist in· .. civilian" life, Madison Beach hotel in nearby Madison, Dick's boundless enthusiasm for THE COM­ Connecticut on Wednesday night July 16 by PANY and the dream of a permanent head­ a contingent of their brother corpsmen from quarters andArchivesbu,lding took the form the Ancient Mariners led by the group's of several different fund raising effom during Commodore, Carl Balestracci. his tenure a, Ancients' Fund chairman. DEEP RIVER JUNIORS MARK 25 YEARS IN 1980 and many of the The Swis, Marintrs and Ancient Mariners "youngster," in this corps photo taken in the early 1960's are 51i11 active as mem­ w,11 climax a week long anniversary cclebra­ bers of various senior groups, including, of course, Deep River. Standing beside uon with a Sf"'Cial exhibition appearance in founder Vic Malcarne is then Drum Major Cheryl Emanuelson, whose cousins Guilford. Ct. on Saturday July 26. The units were active in the group at that rime, including Terry Malcarne, (4th left, top row) will perform on cooperauon with the Guilford who since this photo has put in a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a member of Keeping Society's 20th Annual Fair. the Ancient Mariners. Young Malcarne, his cou,in Cheryl and her Dad, Carl were members of the first Muster Committee of THE COMPANY, running field ac- 1iviries at the Dickerson MuJter of 1966 based on their experiences at 1he big Deep Kentish Guards Muster River Muster. The late Vic Malcarne served on early Executive Committees of THE COMPANY and was chairman -,f the first International Muster at Deep Opens New England Season River in 1969. Curren, leader of the 1980 Deep River. Jr.'s is Al Mason, who serve, By Bll.l PA< r as president. The trad111onal Hart of 1he New F.n~land Mu,ttr 1eilmn took place under sunny ,kics The Deep River Jr Ancients art indeed a lasting, living memorial 10 their late founder, Vic­ on the drill field adjacent to the Old Armory tor Makarnc, as the group marks its 25th consecutive year of amv,,y in 1980. of rhe historic Kentuh Guards RI . 8 \\ f W , •• year s rnaugura , w 1c mar s a new uster and pageants throughout the east, many journeying as far away as Texas in th• 1960's when a decade for the Ancients, was the eighth an­ Deep River contingent annually made a treck to the famous Texas Stat• Fair. nual for the Kentish Guards FDC. M uster Among a host of individual standouts that the [)~p River,Jr. unit produced arc the former Master and Chairman of the Day for the Cheryl Emanuelson, longtime major for the group who won several championship honors, and Kentish Guards was Assistant Drum Major Dick Higgins snare drummer Cliff Barrows, recent winner ofthe junior individual title in Connecticut and in Tom Hill. the Northeastern Association, along with Russell Rankin, who is also a retired junior bass Brig. General John Keily welcomed all the The Anoents' fund has realized some drum champion and now bass drum instruetor for the junior unit. Ancients on behalf ofthe Adj. General ofthe $ I 5,000 thruuih Jonuuons by various corps, The D«p River Jr. aggregation is under the guidance of President Al Mason during this State of Rhode Island and the Immediate sp,-c1al fund raising rafflos and inividual con­ anniversary year, and is completing its usual bu,y schedule. · Past Commander of the Kentish Guards, Col. tributions. During the Bicentennial year of 1976 the Deep River Jr.'s were particularly active, taking Robert Allen Gr~ne, read The Prayer of Dick was an individual member of THE part in many official celobrations throughout the state. For their efforts, they recently received The Ancients to start the afternoon of fifing · ,COMPANY at his passing. His five a certificate of commendation from the Connecticut State Bicentennial Commission. and drumming. youngsters distinguished themselves as mem­ Among the well-known instruetors in music who the Deep River Jr. unit has had over the. Although the audionce was sparse, its bers of the Jr. Colonial FDC of Westbrook. years are the late fifer, Bob O'Brien of the Ancient Mariners and New York Regimentals, and enthusiasm for the music remained un­ Daughter Leslie is a former Connecticut Stat• drummer Ken Lemley, also associated with the same senior units. Current fife instructor is diminished during the two hour-long Muster, champion junior Ancient fifer. Son Todd and John Ciaglia,_ ,. ncient Mariners, and Jim Clark, Connecticut Patriots. which concluded with the Circle of daughter Christine played the fife, and Friendship formed by a combined mufti out­ Christine served as fife sergeant for the corps. fit representing fifers and drummers from Sons Richard and Jeffrey were snare and bass Drums Under The El' In New York City several units whose full groups were not in at­ drummers respectively, Richard was drum Special gu•s~ corps was a "cocktail" unit tendance including Nayaug Ancients, the sergeant of the Jr. Colonials during his active Ancients Take Over Queens from the Ancient Mariners of Connecticut. River Valley Colonials. Veterans of The years and Jeffroy won sevoral first place The sky was grey, the rains came, and These days, anything loss than a dozen drum­ Regimentals, and the Ancient Mariners. medals for individual bass drum. finally the sun shone on some 15 fife and mers and two dozen fifers is called a Milford Volunteers were the first guest Mrs. Higgins,"Teddy" could usually be drum units from several states who marched "cocktail" unit by the Guilford-based musi­ corps on stand, following the host Kentish found at Musters, behind the counter of the under the elevated tracks of New York's in­ cians. Several New York units laughed at Guards. The St. John's Colonial Girh from Jr. Colonials Country Store which helped to famous subway system in Richmond Hill, Muster Committeeman Jim McEleney·s an­ No. Chelmsford, Mass followed the Connec­ raise several thousands of dollars for the Qu~ns, N.Y. where the Yankee Tunesmiths nouncement of the "cocktail" group since the ticut group. youngsters, making possible a 1976 trip to hosted their 2nd Annual Ancient Muster on six fifes, three snares and one bass were The Nutmeg Volunteers fielded a large Dearborn, Michigan on July 4 of the Bicen­ Sunday afternoon June 8. almost as many playing members as many a aggregation and pert Drum Major Suzanne tennial year. Under the direction of Gary Ruckstuhl New York contingent can field. The Steadman received an especially enthusiastic It was requested that donations be made to and Ernest Kiburis, the host corps Yankee Mariner-men played two of their old welcome from the Kcntish Guards of which the Ancients Fund as a living momorial to T unesmiths formed the traditional honor favorites, "The. White Horse" and her great good friend. Eric Luce is a member. Dick Higgins and his love of Ancient fifing guard for corps like the large Mount Kisco "Southern Cross," to the appreciative ap• Eric presented the Muster streamer and a kiss and drumming - and the Ancient spirit. To Ancients. Their crisp sound coming from one plause ofold time New York drum corps peo­ to the blushing Suzanne. date, several hundred doflars have been of the few complete snare and bass sets of ple, many of whom knew AT Editor Ed Barton's Raiders of Tiverton, R.I., made reJoived in Dick Higgin,' name. Those Moeller drums still use, echoed from tho Olsen, of Brooklyn, who was in the fife rank. its traditional appearanco and invited in­ wishing to contribute may send their dona­ brick facades of buildings on Hillside Ave., A large bewigged contingent of the Morris quiries into its own Muster set for August 16. tion to the Ancients Fund, P .