In Colonial America the armed forces consisted mainly of citizen soldiers. These men would gather -- or muster – periodically to practice their skills. Each community usually had a fifer and a drummer to provide marching music for the local militia. During battle, fifes and drums signaled troop movement. At camp, the music provided entertainment for the soldiers.

Today’s fife and drum corps are still comprised local citizens dedicated to preserving the ancient art and music of the fife and drums. Musical selections are drawn from many sources, some predating 1800, and include marches, dances, and cheerful tunes. Popular selections include “Yankee Doodle,” “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” and “The Road to Boston.”

Uniforms worn by the fife and drum corps are a source of pride and distinction. Drummers and fifers had special status in the militia signalers and non-combatants; their uniforms usually were the reverse of the regiments’ colors. Some of today’s fife and drum corps wear clothing of the 18th century and others wear dress common of the American Civil War period and later.

Fife and Drum Corps perform in parades, reenactments, musters, encampments, and even at half-time shows at Fenway Park and Foxborough Stadium. A muster is a gathering of several corps with a parade in the morning followed by individual performances by each participating corps. When all corps have performed, it is customary for some members of each corps to mass and play common fife and drum tunes.

Check the websites of the individual corps for information about their public appearances.

Colonial Navy of Massachusetts
P.O. Box 1775
Fall River, MA

This group, honoring the Massachusetts Colonial Navy, the commonwealth’s naval militia of the American Revolution, performs extensively at parades and musters throughout New England.Appearances in 2009:
Independence Day, July 4, Martha’s Vineyard
Deep River Muster, July 18, Devitt Field, Deep River, Connecticut
Sudbury Muster, September 26, Sudbury

Middlesex County 4-H Fife & Drum Corps
Concord and Eastern Massachusetts, MA

The Middlesex County 4-H Fife & Drum Corps was formed in 1972 in anticipation of that town’s celebration America's bicentennial. The corps primarily plays music of the 1700s. The style of the uniform --tri-corn hats, relatively short vented waistcoats, gathered shirtsleeves, fall-front breeches, buttoned haversacks, and leather garters-- is based on styles of the 1770s. The corps plays at musters, parades and civic ceremonies. E-mail Contact: mc4hfd@yahoo.com. Appearances in 2009:
USS Constitution Sunset Parade, July 5, Boston
Sudbury Muster, September 26, Sudbury
Woburn Halloween Parade, October 25, Woburn
Veteran’s Day, November 11, Concord
Merrimac Holiday Parade, December 6, Merrimack
First Night, December 31, Boston

Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums
105 Boston Avenue
Medford, MA 02155
Phone: 781-488-3627

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The Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums (MCV) was established in 1982 toward the close of the U.S. Bicentennial by Boston-area musicians who wished to further explore the traditional repertoires of the regimental fife and drum corps associated with the European or American armies during the American War for Independence, 1775-1783. Today we have evolved into a repertory ensemble performing martial, dance, and folk music drawn from 17th, 18th, and early 19th century sources in America and Europe. Appearances on 2009:
Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, July 1, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Deep River Ancient Muster, July 17-18, Deep River, Connecticut
Concert at Minute Man National Historic Park, August 29, Lexington
Labor Day parade, September 7, Marlborough
Middlesex County Volunteers in Concert, September 20, Lexington
Sudbury Colonial Faire & Muster, September 26, Sudbury
Marquis of Granby 40th Anniversary Muster, October 3, Granby
Thanksgiving Parade, November 21, Plymouth
Santa Parade, November 22, Haverhill

Sudbury Ancient Fyfe & Drum Companie
Box 93
Sudbury, MA 01776
Phone: 603-585-6630

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The Sudbury Ancients play the Ancient style, and are dressed in the civilian attire of 1775 to emulate the Colonial Militia who marched to Concord on April 19th to meet the British Regulars. The Companie practices on almost every Wednesday throughout the year, in winter at Sudbury's Peter Noyes School and in summer at Longfellow's Wayside inn. Its Colonial faire and muster is held annually at the Inn on the last Saturday in September.

The Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps
Orleans, MA
Phone: 508-255-3999

Spirit of America FDC is a 20-member Corps dedicated to portraying a historically accurate representation of the life and music of the U.S. Infantry during the War of 1812.

The Stow Minutemen Company
P.O. Box 174
Stow, MA 01775

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The Stow Minuteman Company was reactivated in 1965 by order of the Stow Selectmen, to "preserve and perpetuate the memory and spirit of our forebears [and] promote an active interest in Revolutionary history." The membership portrays the colonial civilians of 1775, mainly farmers and their families, who were in opposition to the recent acts of Parliament. The Company attends a number of area parades, living history demonstrations, colonial fairs, and reenactments throughout the year. Locally, the group reenacts the trail march from Stow to the North Bridge in Concord along nearly the same route as the Stow Minutemen of 1775.

William Diamond Junior Fife and Drum Corps
P.O. Box 162
Lexington, MA 02420
Phone: 508-278-2803

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The William Diamond Juniors consists of boys and girls ranging from ages ten to eighteen using six hole wooden fife and the rope tension drum. Clothing is of the style worn of yeoman status, living in Lexington in 1775.

Yankee Volunteers Fife & Drum Corps
P.O. Box 475
Seekonk, MA 02771
Phone: 508-336-9159

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Dressed in Colonial civilian clothing, this corps plays popula0r tunes from the colonial period through the Civil War. It combines fifing, drumming and musketry with traditional dance by younger girls. Information: 508-336-3055.