As many of you know, the annual muster in Westbrook, CT was last weekend. I made the trip out there with my two boys and we all performed with the Civil War Troopers. I didn’t see any C&F’ers there, and I was looking for Brad and for Rich B. I saw lots of other folks, though, including Walt Sweet (of Sweetheart Flute), Patsy Ellis from Cooperman, and fife makers Ron Peeler and Mark Forsell. There were lots of great performances, especially by the Regulators, Ancient Mariners, Lancraft, Moodus, Americlique and Stony Creek. About 40 corps performed. Between watching the performances, socializing and wrangling my kids, I didn’t take as many (or as good) pictures as I usually would, but here’s the link to what I did get:
Since I took all the pictures, I’m not in any of them. I have to remember to hand the camera to someone else for a few minutes the next time I get the uniform on.
Hey, Jim…I meant to come out, but on Friday we were hit by a really nasty computer virus, and I spent most of the weekend at work. It really was awful.
Glad you had a good time…maybe next year I’ll make it.
(sigh)
Tyghress…
looking forward to a time when life is not interrupted by a career…merely sidetracked by lack of funds.
Jim:
Thanks for putting all of those Muster Photos on Line.
I’m an old fifer and was getting goose bumps just thinking about playing at Musters!
I guess the majority of Whistle and Flute People that view this message board are more grounded in Irish Music, but that brings me to my main point, wouldnt it be cool to introduce some Ancient tunes at an Irish Session?
How about these :
Essence of Tampa,Crown Point,Stillmans, Hanover,1st of September,Hell on the Wabash, Billy Budd.
I’ve played most of these on the Flute, but never at any sessions
ITAS!
Ben
Greensboro,NC
Thanks for the list. I was at Deep River and heard a tune go past that I really wanted to learn, but haven’t a clue as to what it might be. I’ll check out the tunes you mentioned and see if its one of them.
I’ll probably be able to find it, as I have Ralph Sweet’s book of tunes, but that is a LOT of tune to poke through to find one that might…just MIGHT tickle my memory.
Ty, when fifers and drummers talk about ancient, or the ancients, their talking about the American tradition of fifing and drumming. Ancients aren’t reenactors. They may be dressed in period costumes, but the costumes aren’t necessarily exact historical replicas, they’re just meant to suggest the imagery of a particular period in time. There are ancients dressed in costumes representing the F&I War, AWI, War of 1812, CW, old west marshalls, and even early 20th century National Guard. There are groups dressed in period civilian costumes and in military costumes of periods in between these.
Most of these groups don’t limit themselves to the music of the time period their costumes represent. For example, I play with a group that dresses in CW costumes, but we play AWI stuff, old timey stuff and many modern compositions. One of the tunes Mr. Fan mentioned, Crown Point, was written in the 1950’s. It fits right in with AWI tunes, and probably some of the folks who play it think it’s historically correct. Most of us don’t care, though. Drums and Guns is another popular ancient tune that was only written in the last 50 years. We’re also not opposed to stealing tunes from the IrTrad or piping traditions. My group plays The Kinnegad Slashers, My Love is but a Lassie Yet and Harvest Home Hornpipe.
The only real rules for ancients are that we play only (keyless) fifes and rope tension drums, and no other instruments. The tradition started in the Connecticut river valley around 1820 or so. It probably started when folks were planning the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence. A couple of corps still survive from that era - you know of some: Moodus Drum and Fife and the Mattatuck Drum Band.
And Mr. Fan - I’d play any of the ancient tunes that I could play as jigs, reels or hornpipes at an IrTrad session. Stillmans was a good example. Hell on the Wabash, though, I only play outdoors.
I had mentioned I wouldn’t be able to make it there but was planning on going to Sudbury. Probably got lost in the posts. Good pictures.
As far as playing fife tunes in Irish sessions I think it’s a bad idea, some of the marches can be nicely “polkafied” but not all tunes would gel at an irish sesh. Generally I think they are two good things that don’t go nicely together (The chocolate-pizza theory)
Tunes like Empty Pockets & We Come Here Again would fit in like square donuts at an irish session & hearing F&D corps do Irish reels makes me laugh out loud. They both have there own merits, but cross-genre music is hardly ever a good idea.
Brad -
You have to Listen to Skip Healy’s CD’s. Your perspective may change.
Jim -
I’m sorry I missed you, again at a muster, but, you caught me in one of your pics. I went to Westbrook Friday, hotter than I ever remember and that lightening show was quite impressive. I was over in the camping area just reviewing all the tent poles around me and hightailed it for my vehicle just as the storm hit the area. The muster day was perfect.
Hey, Jim! You weren’t at Marlborough! I actually got Tyghre to come and listen for about 4 hours…then his eyes started glassing over and we had to leave.
Funniest thing I saw. . .40 corps come marching down the shute. . .all looking so spiffy. . .then the call came for Ameri-clique from New Britain! One lady with a noise maker, one little boy with a flag, one drummer. . .and one fifer. . .Bill Hart. It really was amusing. Hey, he was perfectly in key and in synch with the rest of the corps!
