Fifes were used for signaling. I have found that, other than drummers, they were often the only musicians on forts in the 1800’s.
Correct me if I am wrong (I often am) but fifers needed to preform for the officers, (read chamber music) the troops, (read gigs, reels, etc.) and the army. The army often had both ceremony, and information calls. The “duty calls” needed to be clear, so there was probably no ornamentation.
So my question is, were there other ceremonial calls that did include ornamentation? How would it be different than the Irish or baroque ornamentation?
I’m surprised no one did (or could) answer this question.
I have some suspicions as to the answer, but no real knowledge.
I would guess that it would have been highly variable what the fifers would have done in a situation like this. Most regimental fifers would likely have been very young boys (10 - 14 or so), under command of a Fife Sergeant or Fife Master, who would probably have done any of the “non-Duty” events, such as chamber music, or dance music. His “style” of ornamentation would probably be nothing like what we would call a particular canned ‘style’ today. We’re going back 200+ years here, and what is an “Irish” style now would most likely not been played (or even heard!) by an American of that time period. That in mind, if such a musician were to pattern himself after someone, I would guess that it would be the European-style Baroque or Classical chamber style, which was still popular in elite social circles among the Early American aristocracy, and which a Master Fifer would have been familiar with.
Again, all pure speculation, but it paints a picture, no?
Much of this you can gather between the lines of Bruce & Emmett’s Drummer and Fifers guide (1862), and some I’ve gathered along the way in my few years as a fifer in an actual Regiment who actually had fifers and drummers back when we actually were a military unit.
Actually.
By the way, you can see Bruce and Emmett’s guide, in its entirety, beginning here on Ken Barlow’s fifedrum.org site: