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An Ancient Fife and Drum Corps is a traditional, typically American drum corps that plays fifes and wooden rope tension snare and bass drums.
Instrumentation
A fife is a woodwind instrument in the transverse flute family which sounds an octave above the written music and has 6 tone holes (some have 10 or 11 tone holes for added chromatics). Most fifes are wood - grenadilla, rosewood, mopane, pink-ivory and other dense woods are superior; maple and persimmon are inferior, but often used. Some corps use metal fifes.
Rope tension snare and bass drums are tightened by the use of tugs or ears that apply pressure to the rope, that pressure is transferred to the heads when the rope compresses the counter hoops causing them to move slightly closer together. Drum heads can be made of calf skin or modern plastic heads as made by many drum manufacturers.
Performance
The drums are beaten using two sticks. Visual effects may be created by flourishes of the drum sticks; for example, bass drummers may wave the sticks about in a flourish while the snare drummers roll (or when the beating leaves sufficient time to flourish).
Songs are chosen on a number of criteria and can include both historically significant music and new pieces specifically composed or arranged to be played on fife and drum.
Most fife and drum corps march in parades, perform concerts in festivals and state fairs, and expositions. Some fife and drum corps focus on interpreting a specific time period and spend some time portraying field musicians of the era at living history events.
The typical uniforms of the Ancient Fife and Drum Corps is a representation of some Revolutionary War American military uniform. Often you'll see tricorn hats, waistcoats, knickers or knee breeches, ruffled cuffs, neck stocks, buckled shoes. More recently, American Civil War uniforms have risen in prominence. These uniforms do not have to be historically accurate in look or composition to be worn by an ancient fife and drum corps, they merely have to reflect the historical feeling of an era, though many corps do wear authentic reproduction uniforms.
Organization
One organization representing fife and drum corps members is the Company of Fifers and Drummers of Ivoryton, CT. The Company of Fifers and Drummers has around 1500 members, with members in every U.S. state and in many countries.
Ancient fifers and drummers gather at conventions called musters, which may include a parade and concerts featuring the various participating corps. There are many musters hosted by many cores, the largest Ancient Fife and Drum Muster is in Deep River, CT, U.S.A., on the Second Saturday every July. The Deep River muster made the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest muster in 1976.
See also
Fife and drum blues
"Ancient Fife and Drum Corps"