Excelsior Brigade Fife and Drum Corps
Encyclopedia
The Excelsior Brigade Fife and Drum Corps (aka Excelsior Brigade of Fifes and Drums, Excelsior Brigade, or Western New York Field Music) was founded in 2000 as a combination Ancient Fife and Drum Corps
and living history
unit dedicated to authentically reproducing the sights and sounds of New York State volunteer militia field musicians as found during the American Civil War
.
Each year, the group plays four to six living history events, marches in ten to fifteen fireman
's and festival parades and performs in two to four Christmas
concerts. The Excelsior Brigade wears authentic reproduction uniforms, accurately representing militia units as delivered to the front lines in early 1861. The leather brogan
s, wool shell jacket
s, trousers and kepi
hat, the leather belts and cotton suspenders are quality pieces that bring Civil War field music onto 21st Century streets, allowing the corps to march off a fireman's parade and into a reenactment without missing a beat.
The corps plays a wide selection of tunes and duties as played during the war. Duties include reveille
, breakfast call, pioneer's march and others. Songs include dozens of favorite tunes from the era with more added each season.
The high level of expertise and skill requires that the group practice year-round for the regular marching season.
Being a combination corps, of Ancient and Reenactor, the corps has some interesting features:
Ancient Fife and Drum Corps
An Ancient Fife and Drum Corps is a traditional, typically American fife and drum corps that plays fifes and wooden rope tension snare and bass drums.-History:...
and living history
Living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is...
unit dedicated to authentically reproducing the sights and sounds of New York State volunteer militia field musicians as found during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Each year, the group plays four to six living history events, marches in ten to fifteen fireman
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
's and festival parades and performs in two to four Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
concerts. The Excelsior Brigade wears authentic reproduction uniforms, accurately representing militia units as delivered to the front lines in early 1861. The leather brogan
Brogan
Brogan or O'Brogan, is a surname originating in Ireland, anglicized from the original Ó Brógáin. The form McBrogan, is also present sharing the meaning of O'Brogan, essentially "son of Brogan." The name can be traced back to Saint Brogan , Saint Patrick's nephew and scribe, and has many original...
s, wool shell jacket
Shell jacket
The shell jacket is a garment used as part of a military uniform. It is a short jacket that reaches down to hip level. It was very common in the mid and late 19th century. The jacket was first created in Austria....
s, trousers and kepi
Kepi
The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a visor or peak . Etymologically, the word is a borrowing of the French képi, itself a respelling of the Alemannic Käppi: a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap"....
hat, the leather belts and cotton suspenders are quality pieces that bring Civil War field music onto 21st Century streets, allowing the corps to march off a fireman's parade and into a reenactment without missing a beat.
The corps plays a wide selection of tunes and duties as played during the war. Duties include reveille
Reveille
"Reveille" is a bugle call, trumpet call or pipes call most often associated with the military or summer camp; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise...
, breakfast call, pioneer's march and others. Songs include dozens of favorite tunes from the era with more added each season.
The high level of expertise and skill requires that the group practice year-round for the regular marching season.
Being a combination corps, of Ancient and Reenactor, the corps has some interesting features:
- constant open and anonymous access for members to all financial information
- no dues
- uniforms and instruments provided to members on a loan program
- free lessons
- sheet musicSheet musicSheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
and other resources available through the website
External links
- http://fifedrum.org/excelsior Excelsior Brigade Fife and Drum Corps, Rochester, NY