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86-448: The Queensland Highlanders Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band based in Brisbane , Queensland , Australia . The band's Pipe Major is Jason Palfrey; lead drummer is Stuart Palfrey. The band was formed in 1996 by Fraser Martin and a small group of dedicated musicians keen to build an exciting pipe band from the ground up. Despite the relatively short history of the band, it has enjoyed

172-471: A biniou braz (Breton bagpipes), a bombarde section, a drum corps , and any additional musical instruments the band wishes to add. Common additions are clarinets, brass instruments (often trumpets or saxophones), guitars, and other forms of binious . Fife (musical instrument) The fife is a diatonically tuned instrument commonly consisting of a tube with six finger holes and an embouchure hole that produces sound when blown across. Modern versions of

258-547: A feather bonnet . Competition is a primary focus for many pipe bands throughout the world. Every year, mainly in the period from spring to autumn, pipe bands around the world compete against each other at various venues, often at Highland festivals. For many, this usually culminates in the World Pipe Band Championships, held on the 2nd weekend of August. A typical season for many competing pipe bands might include ten or more of these competitions. Europe (especially

344-422: A movable-do system, and then to express any pitch having a given scale degree in the context of a given musical piece, regardless of that pitch's absolute value, in terms of a staff position defined as corresponding to that scale degree. The more specific effect is to treat fife subtypes sounding in different keys as comparable to transposing-instrument subtypes (e.g., of clarinet) sounding in those keys except that

430-477: A 10-hole (Model L). Two of the holes were used by the right hand middle finger – covering only one of the two produced F ♮ . Some players found this quite difficult, so eventually (c. 1970s), an 11-hole model was introduced, the Model M, with both the original double right hand middle finger holes and a right hand thumb hole to choose from for the F ♮ . These were actually ideas derived from several makers of

516-453: A Boehm style bore (cylindrical foot and truncated parabolic head) and large tone holes. Custom "Swiss Cheese" models feature even larger tone holes, to produce a stronger and more mellow tone when played in the lowest octave. Tuning is further refined than on the McDonagh. Healy fifes also offer more dynamic control than the McDonagh models. Simultaneously with the emergence of the McDonagh fife,

602-471: A Medley event, which consists of a short selection of music chosen and arranged by the band. The rules for the medley contest are very open, requiring only a minimum and maximum time frame (between 5:30 and 7 minutes) and a minimum of different time signatures that must be played as well as two 3 pace rolls played at the beginning of the tune (also known as an attack). In addition to performing at 'The Worlds', most internationally competitive bands participate in

688-430: A block colour. In competition, appearing smart in uniform is essential; some competitions have dress codes, for instance certain types of jackets only, ties must be knotted at the collar and so on. Pipe bands often vary the uniform worn, depending on the formality of the occasion. Very formal occasions require jackets to be worn, whereas less formal occasions do not, and only the waistcoat is worn. On semi-formal occasions,

774-434: A constant volume, it is the drum corps which adds dynamic effect to the ensemble by varying the weight of playing and the number of players playing at any given time. While standard practice in pipe bands is for the pipe section to perform the traditional or standard arrangements of the melodies, including gracenotes , drum scores are very often composed by the lead drummer of the band. The bass section (also referred to as

860-537: A demand for fifes that were superior in intonation and better suited for group playing than those used during the Civil War. This call was answered by the Cloos Company of Brooklyn, New York, and their Crosby Model fife. These fifes were one piece, cylindrical bore instruments with six irregularly sized and placed tone-holes. Compared to fifes made before this time, Cloos fifes were easier to play, better tuned, and produced

946-412: A different role in the music. Generally speaking, the pipers deliver the melodic and harmonic material, while the side drummers provide a rhythmically interactive accompaniment part. The tenor drummers provide rhythmic pulses and the bass drummer anchors the rhythms, providing a strong and steady beat. The bagpipers are responsible for providing all melodic material in the music. Generally speaking, all of

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1032-711: A headquarters and museum in Ivoryton, Connecticut . Fife alone, or fife and drum, is also used in numerous European countries, especially in the South of France ( Occitania ): Languedoc and the county of Nice; in Switzerland (notably Basel ); and in Northern Ireland, where it is often accompanied by the lambeg drum . Modern players of Celtic music , folk music , old-timey music , and folk-rock include fifing in their arrangements of tunes and songs. The Junkanoo festival of

1118-672: A high level of success in both competitive and entertainment endeavours. The band competed in the World Pipe Band Championships in 2000 where it was placed 5th in Grade 2. In 2001, they competed in the championships again and won in the Grade 2 category. They were the first civilian pipe band from Australia to win this title. The band won the Australian Pipe Band Championships in Grade 1 in 2004. This article on an Australian band or other musical ensemble

1204-462: A machine gun or mortar platoon , or are Assault Pioneers or as a rifle platoon. (This is similar to corps of drums in an English or Welsh infantry regiment although their tradition of fifes and drums is quite separate from that of the Highland bagpipes). As a result, in addition to being musicians, members of the pipes and drums must also be qualified fighting soldiers. Unlike musicians, who belong to

1290-490: A maker named Ed Ferrary assumed the mantle of the now-defunct Cloos company, producing traditional 6-hole cylindrical fifes. For those who continue to play traditional fifes, the Ferrary became the fife of choice. After Mr. Ferrary's death, his tooling and equipment were purchased for Ed Bednarz of Warehouse Point, Connecticut , who markets his fifes through outside sellers, including fellow Lancraft fifer Ed Boyle of Philadelphia and

1376-477: A merge between harmony and melody known as ' counter-melody ' has been aired. A counter-melody is similar to a harmony part, but is distinguished because it has a melodic line of its own. Counter-melody can take a completely different thematic approach and can dramatically change the flow and atmosphere of the melodic unison. This technique is relatively new in the pipe band circuit, and in most cases require skill and timing to achieve in full unison. The drum corps of

1462-406: A midsection) consists of a section of tenor drummers and a bass drummer . Their role is to provide rhythmic support to the entire ensemble. In this respect, the bass section allows the drum corps to delegate their timekeeping responsibilities and allows more freedom in the drum scores. Generally, the bass drum provides a steady pulse, playing on the downbeat and on the strong beats of the bar, and

1548-458: A much louder sound. After the death of Cloos Company founder George Cloos in 1910, the company continued to make fifes under the aegis of his son Frederick until it was bought out by Penzel-Mueller in 1946. Penzel-Mueller continued to make Cloos fifes for another six years after the buyout. In 1958, a new model fife designed by fifer John McDonagh was manufactured in Germany. This model was used by

1634-523: A musician from Mississippi , who played blues on homemade cane fifes. There remains an active and enthusiastic group, primarily in the northeastern United States, that continues to play fife and drum music in a folk tradition that has gone on since the American Civil War . The center of this activity is in eastern Connecticut . There is a loose federation of corps, though not a governing body, called The Company of Fifers and Drummers, which maintains

1720-500: A number of years, both Larry Trout and Wilson Woods made McDonagh fifes jointly – Trout the fish-marked familiar McDonagh Model and Wilson the Regimental Model. Eventually, both men discontinued making fifes as of 2003. Most recently, The Cooperman Company, founded by Patrick H. Cooperman, took over the manufacture of McDonagh fifes. Cooperman had ventured himself into the concert-fifemaking world in about 1985 with his own version of

1806-433: A pipe band consists of a section of drummers playing highland snare drums and the bass section. In the early days of pipe bands, rope tension snare drums were common, but as bagpipe tuning pitches became higher, a brighter tone was demanded from the drum corps. Pipe band drummers now play on drums with very tight, knitted kevlar heads, designed for maximum tension to create a very crisp and strident sound. Since today's drum

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1892-462: A pipe band setting can be extremely effective. Pipe band harmony is sometimes referred to as 'seconds', although this simply refers to a second part and not to the interval of a second. In fact, intervals of a second are rarely found in pipe band harmony parts, except in passing. Instead, it is the consonant intervals which are stressed, such as perfect fourths and fifths, and even more commonly, parallel thirds and sixths. In contemporary arrangements,

1978-539: A profusion of Native American, African and European traditions. When played in its upper register, the fife is loud and piercing, yet also extremely small and portable. According to some reports, a band of fifes and drums can be heard up to 3 miles (4.8 km) away over artillery fire. Because of these qualities, European armies from the Renaissance on found it useful for signaling on the battlefield. Armies from Switzerland and southern Germany are known to have used

2064-516: A season of events that are generally held during Scotland's summer months. While events of this type are usually held at Highland Games , band competitions in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland are often large enough to be held as events unto themselves. The grading and organization of these events is generally consistent with the World Championships and the events are typically administered by

2150-445: A soft harness, or sling, instead of the typical marching harness used by the snare drums, but shoulder harness tenors are now used by several pipe bands. Competing bands must adhere to minimum numbers requirements. Typically, a band must consist of a minimum of 6 pipers, 2 snare drummers, and 1 bass drummer with numbers varying slightly for different grades (see more on grades below). Pipe band uniforms vary from band to band. However,

2236-540: A two-piece fife, as well as an acoustically correct one-piece version, through the assistance of a few key players. Though the fifes played and sold well, they had not reached the popularity of the McDonagh. The early 1990s saw the emergence of the Healy Flute Company as a major player in the manufacture of fifes. Founder Skip Healy is a champion fife player and well known Irish flute player from Rhode Island . His fifes are two-piece, six or ten hole instruments with

2322-605: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums , used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe , a section of snare drummers (often referred to as 'side drummers'), several tenor drummers and usually one, though occasionally two, bass drummers . The tenor drummers and bass drummer are referred to collectively as

2408-509: Is a six-hole simple system flute. These flutes are unable to play all chromatic pitches, while many of the chromatic pitches which they can play are grossly out of tune. Because of these restrictions on available notes, the common six-hole fife is for practical purposes capable of playing only in the written keys of D (concert B ♭ ) major, G (concert E ♭ ) major, A (concert F) major, and those keys’ relative minors . An experienced fife player can play three full octaves , although

2494-572: Is augmented to include additional instruments (such as additional percussion instruments or keyboard instruments), but this is typically done only in concert settings. Pipe bands started in Scottish Regiments of the British Army, in the nineteenth century. The tradition then spread to former British colonies such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, as well as constituents of

2580-539: Is given as to which pitches to use and at which times. The pitches help provide melodic or harmonic accompaniment to the bagpipes; creating a more dynamic flow between the drum corps and the pipe corps. In some cases, five or six tenor drummers have been used, providing a palette of individual pitches for use in a variety of musical situations. The swinging also known as flourishing has developed somewhat into an art form, with drummers playing and swinging in unison or sequential flows. Tenor drums are also still commonly played on

2666-400: Is so facile as a result of its design, players are often able to execute extremely complicated and technically demanding rudimentary patterns. The pipe band drum corps is responsible for both supporting the piping with a solid rhythmic foundation and sense of pulse, often creating an interesting contrapuntal line unto itself. The line played by the drum corps (referred to as the 'drum score')

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2752-416: Is usually based on rudimentary patterns and can often be quite involved, with solo, unison and contrapuntal passages throughout. A popular pattern in many scores is for the lead drummer to play a phrase, and the section to play in response. This technique is known as seconds (sometimes referred to as chips, or forte). The drum corps is also responsible for the dynamics of the band. Given that the bagpipes are at

2838-550: The American Revolutionary War , the British and Americans used the so-called Scotch and English Duties , specified melodies associated with various military duties. American martial music was influenced by that of the British military throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries. By the early 19th century, warfare was changing and fifes were no longer practical as combat signaling devices, being gradually replaced by

2924-658: The Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming , in Edinburgh , Scotland. To be qualified as a pipe major or drum major in the pipes and drums of a regiment of the British Army, candidates must successfully pass a series of courses at the school. The music played by pipe bands generally consists of music from the Scottish tradition, the Irish tradition and the Breton tradition, either in

3010-504: The Bahamas and Jamaica includes the music of bamboo fifes. In the rural lands of northeast Brazil , people use a bamboo fife named Brazilian fife (in Brazil it is called pife nordestino or just pife ). This fife is a mix of Native American flute traditions with European fife traditions. The groups that use this instrument utilize only flute and percussive elements in their music, in

3096-686: The Commonwealth of Nations . In addition, a number of other countries have adopted the tradition, notably in areas with Celtic roots: Ireland (circa 1900), Brittany in Northwestern France (1940s), and the regions of Galicia , Asturias and Cantabria in Northern Spain. The pipe band's origins are in the military, but are obscure as contemporary historical regimental records had no direct interest in piping, giving only hints at details. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association maintains that

3182-687: The Normandy beaches, and the crossing of the Rhine. The Calgary Highlanders went into action for the first time at Hill 67 in Normandy with company pipers playing; it was the only time the Regiment did so. Military pipers have also served in both Gulf Wars. Pipe bands have long been part of military tradition, most notably in the United Kingdom and its former colonies. Many of the same standard tunes are found in both

3268-622: The RSPBA , and bands can be downgraded or upgraded at the annual regrading, which takes place at the end of the competition season. A band can apply for downgrading, but will have to compete in two further contests in their existing grade. Because of time constraints, the RSPBA uses "A" and "B" designations in Grade 3, 4, and Novice Juvenile for major competitions. In doing so, bands are grouped based on prior-years' performances, and can receive promotions within their respective grade. These vary slightly throughout

3354-579: The Royal Corps of Army Music , the pipers and drummers belong to the regiment in which they serve and are combat soldiers first and foremost. Pipers in particular uphold a centuries-old tradition of inspiring soldiers in the field and this can be traced back into Scotland's clan system to the 16th century at least. In other parts of the world, military pipe bands are generally part of reserve regiments, and also draw civilian members into their ranks. The British Army runs its own pipes and drums training facility,

3440-892: The Trooping of the Colour . Amateur historical reenactment groups and dedicated civil bands sometimes feature fife and drum corps sporting period military costumes from the Revolutionary War , the War of 1812 , the Mexican War or the American Civil War. Military fife and drum bands can be heard in Germany, where they are part of the Bundeswehr . The Bundeswehr Staff Band Berlin and the Bundeswehr Band Bonn have fifes and drums assigned, as do

3526-607: The infantry bugle . They were still used as signaling (as opposed to musical) instruments by American units during the Civil War, but were gradually phased out by the 1880s (the same case in France). A similar evolution occurred in the British Army. The US Marines were the last American units to drop fifers from their rolls. However, the British have an unbroken tradition of using fife and drum corps attached to their infantry regiments, with whom they still parade regularly. Germany also continued an unbroken tradition of fife and drum corps until

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3612-406: The violin or piano . The fife can still be heard in some Appalachian folk music , playing lively dance tunes. American slaves adopted fifes in their musical traditions, which derived from African music . The tradition developed into fife and drum blues , a genre that continued throughout the 20th century but has since died out. One of the most famous artists in the tradition was Othar Turner ,

3698-487: The 'bass section' (or in North America as the 'midsection'), and the entire drum section is collectively known as the drum corps. The band follows the direction of the pipe major; when on parade the band may be led by a drum major, who directs the band with a mace. Standard instrumentation for a pipe band involves 6 to 25 pipers, 3 to 10 side drummers, 1 to 6 tenor drummers and 1 bass drummer. Occasionally this instrumentation

3784-512: The 1840s, when Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for all things Highland was instrumental in the War Office 's decision that each battalion of the Highland regiments be allowed five pipers and a pipe major, which continues to be all that the British Army provides funds for to this day. Any additional pipers in the battalion pipe band were and are equipped today by funds from the officers' mess fund of

3870-526: The 18th–19th century uniforms of the Guardias de Corps , and the Spanish Army's 1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ also has a dedicated fife and drum unit. The modern era of fifing in the United States began in about 1880, with the popularizing of civilian fife and drum corps in a musical tradition that has come to be known as Ancient fife and drum (or simply Ancient). The rise of these corps led to

3956-598: The Cloos tradition, with variations intended to improve intonation. In 1975, Patrick Cooperman opened his full-time workshop in Centerbrook, Connecticut , making traditional fifes, drums and drumsticks. The Cooperman Company has remained in operation under the control of other family members since Patrick's death in 1995, and in 2006 combined its Connecticut and Vermont operations under one roof in Bellows Falls, Vermont . Now known as

4042-459: The Cooperman Company, Cooperman continues to make student fifes in plastic and domestic hardwoods, as well as the original Cooperman model one piece fife in exotic woods. Other manufacturers of Ancient fifes include Ralph Sweet of Enfield, Connecticut 's Sweetheart Flute Company, whose Cloos model fifes most closely resemble the original instrument. After Ralph Sweet's death, his flute shop

4128-616: The UK and Ireland), North America, Australia, and New Zealand have active competitive pipe band communities, but there are competing bands from throughout the world. Since 1930, when the Scottish band association (today known as the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association or RSPBA) was formed, there has been a World Pipe Band Championship competition, known as 'The Worlds' held annually in Glasgow during August. For competitive bands,

4214-673: The West German Bundeswehr and the East German National People's Army formed dedicated sections. Today the fife's military legacy can be seen in marching bands, for example in English, Welsh and Irish military units and in the pipes and drums of Scottish regiments. There are fife and drum corps in Switzerland, and the United States " Old Guard " has a ceremonial one . British fife and drum bands play at ceremonies such as

4300-654: The Worlds are awarded in the following nine categories: In the Novice Juvenile and Juvenile categories, band members must be under the age of eighteen, with the exception of one "adult" player, often an instructor, who may serve as the Pipe Major or Pipe Sergeant. The remaining categories have no age restriction, and are instead based on proficiency. Grading and eligibility are overseen by the National Council and Music Board of

4386-702: The bands attached to the Bundeswehr Military Music Service in the German Army, German Navy and the Luftwaffe. The Chilean Army and Chilean Navy have dedicated fife, drum and bugle bands attached to the main military bands. They are seen especially at the annual parades on May 21 and September 18 and 19. This tradition is now adopted by various Chilean elementary and secondary schools and colleges, both public and private, which frequently appear at public events. The Russian Army places fifes and drums at

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4472-418: The battalion. By this time, pipers were already playing together with drummers, probably modelling themselves on the fife and drum bands which had existed in Switzerland since the 15th century. Drumming itself is as ancient as the concept of formed military units, and their original purpose on the battlefield was to signal tactical movements and keep cadence on the march. By the time World War I broke out,

4558-433: The cavalry or artillery, which used trumpets, kettle drums or both. Each company in an infantry regiment was assigned two fifers and two drummers. When the battalion (5 companies) or regiment (10 companies) was formed up on parade or for movement en masse, these musicians would be detached from the companies to form a "band". This is how the term band first came to refer to a group of musicians. In their individual companies,

4644-413: The conventions of transposing instruments: These conventions are specific to transposing instruments. By contrast, non-transposing instruments use another convention. For example, although the trombone and the tuba each produce a B ♭ when played at their lowest harmonic position with the slide not extended or with no valves depressed, respectively, the trombone's music parts are not transposed, and

4730-507: The days of the 19th century, including Giorgi, even though there was no need for F ♮ in traditional fife music. Around this time, Roy Seaman had been deeply involved in the making of piccolos under his name, the body style of which resembled the McDonagh Model fife. Roy retired from actively manufacturing fifes and sold the operation of making McDonagh fifes to an apprentice, Larry Trout. Operating on his own, Trout soon chose to mark

4816-401: The designs of the 1830s fell from favor, and had the added value of being tunable with each other (by sliding the joint or the head cork). In addition, they gave the player greater dynamic control and could be played even louder than traditional fifes, the result of the lower cone in the bore. At first, only six hole (Model J) fifes were made, but by 1962, McDonagh designed and Seaman manufactured

4902-565: The end of World War II. They were integral to the regular German Army, Air Force and Navy, and not merely part of the Hitler Youth and the Nazi Party organizations. Bands of fifes and drums were regularly at the head of regimental parades and ceremonies of the infantry regiments, military schools and naval and air bases. The tradition of fifes and drums, though, even carried on in the Cold War, as both

4988-578: The ends to protect them from damage. A fife used in less strenuous conditions may have a lathe-turned, knob-like decoration at the ends for protection. Modern fifes may have two- or three-piece constructions, and may incorporate a sliding tuning joint made of metal or cork. Fifes are most commonly used in Fife and Drum Corps, but can also be found in folk music , particularly Celtic music . Some Caribbean music makes use of fifes, which are usually made from bamboo . The names of different varieties of fife follow

5074-611: The entire fife and drum community. They were two-piece instruments with a dual conical bore – the foot joint tapered down from the joint to about an inch before terminus, where the bore cone reversed itself and opened up again slightly. They used the popular flute and piccolo designs of the 1830s, where "cone" flutes were popular and most common. The cone flutes had fallen out of favor to the cylindrical flutes designed by Boehm, though fifes and piccolos remained popular among folk music performers. As would be expected, these fifes were notably more internally in tune than most previous fifes, since

5160-417: The exploration of non-traditional repertoire, and serves as another means by which piping and drumming can present itself to the public in a modern fashion. A lesser-known type of pipe band that has already expanded the pipe band genre is the bagad , a Breton cultural phenomenon. Bagads began in the thirties to counter the widespread decay of the living Breton folk tradition. A modern-day bagad consists of

5246-510: The fife ( German : Soldatenpfeife ) as early as the 15th century. Swiss and German mercenaries were hired by monarchs throughout Western Europe, and they spread the practice of military fifing. The fife was a standard instrument in European infantries by the 16th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the protocols of the fifes and drums became intricately associated with infantry regiments only. They were not used as signaling instruments by

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5332-667: The fife are chromatic , having 10 or 11 finger holes that allow any note to be played. On a 10-hole fife, the index, middle and ring fingers of both hands remain in the same positions as on the six-hole fife, while both thumbs and both pinkies are used to play accidentals. An 11-hole fife has holes positioned similarly but adds a second hole under the right middle finger. Fifes are made primarily of wood, such as blackwood , grenadilla , rosewood , mopane , pink ivory , cocobolo , boxwood , maple , or persimmon . Some fifes are entirely made of metal or plastic. Military and marching fifes have metal reinforcing bands, called ferrules , around

5418-459: The fife with his own fish symbol, which replaced the script mark of Roy Seaman's name. In time, the quality of the instrument eventually suffered and other models of fifes began to emerge in the United States. McDonagh was involved with fife and drum activities for many years. That began to change by 1988 when McDonagh began to meet with some former fifing colleagues and newer players. John also renewed his collaborative friendship with Roy Seaman, who

5504-459: The fingering patterns necessary for playing in the third octave can be daunting to a beginner. Marching bands typically play only in the second and third octave since these are the loudest and most penetrating. In medieval Europe , the fife was used in some folk music traditions to accompany dancing by all social classes. The fife was one of the most important musical instruments in the United States' Colonial period, even more widespread than

5590-465: The form of traditional folk tunes and dances or popular music that has been adapted for pipes. Examples of typical pipe bands forms include marches, slow airs , jigs and reels , and strathspeys . In recent years there has been a great deal of emphasis placed on new forms, especially the suite . A good example of a suite for pipe band is Don Thompson's composition Journey to Skye (1987). In conventional pipe band music, each section of instruments has

5676-675: The front of major military parades such as those on Red Square in Moscow as part of a dedicated formation. In Argentina, only the Tambor de Tacuari military band of the Regiment of Patricians has fifers, in accordance with an 1809 military regulation of the Viceroy of Buenos Aires , which allowed every militia unit in Buenos Aires to have a drummer and two fifers. The Spanish Royal Guard also has fifers, who wear

5762-431: The governing Pipe Band Association . In addition to the World Pipe Band Championships, the RSPBA also typically hosts four other major championships throughout the year. These are the Scottish, British, UK, and European Pipe Band Championships. Despite their naming, these events are not limited to entrants from the region after which they are named and it is common for bands from outside these regions to enter. Prizes at

5848-399: The jacket is not worn, but a long-sleeved shirt is worn under the waistcoat. This increases the formality of the outfit, but decreases the comfort. On occasion, no waistcoat is worn, in which case the shirt sleeve must be of long length. Pipe Major uniforms are usually different, to distinguish them from the other members of the band. More traditional highland dress may be worn, sometimes with

5934-455: The military and civilian pipe band repertoires, and many similarities exist in terms of musical style, historical and musical influences, and dress and deportment. Military bandsmen as full time musicians in British Army bands are normally required to take on a secondary role in the battlefield as medics. However, in most cases, soldiers in the pipes and drums in a Scottish or Irish infantry regiment are fully trained infantrymen who constitute

6020-399: The origin of military pipe bands are traced back to the early 1800s as soldiers tasked with keeping pace and morale on long marches with their respective regiments. The global spread of piping can also be directly attributed with British colonial expansion. Pipers and drummers in the employ of the British Army and Scottish emigrants brought with them traditional music and the culture surrounding

6106-543: The pipe band represented a popular image of Scotland, both internally and externally. Military pipers were killed and injured in significant numbers in the Great War, before the practice of playing in the trenches was banned. The ban was often not observed; Canadian piper James Richardson was awarded the Victoria Cross for playing in action in 1916. Pipes have occasionally played into battle, notably at El Alamein , Dieppe ,

6192-471: The pipers play a unison melody on their chanters , with their drones providing the harmonic support and filling out the sound. When harmony is written within the pipe section, it is usually a two-part harmony, and is usually scored in a 2:1 ratio (with two-thirds of the players on the melody and one third of the players on the harmony part). Because of the limited range of the chanter, the harmonic possibilities are somewhat limited, but well-written harmony in

6278-462: The practice. It is known that pipers served in regiments from the earliest times; the Royal Scots have records referring to pipers dating back to the early seventeenth century. During this time, soldiers specially employed as pipers were employed by the officers of the regiments as private pipers, although countless others were certainly trained in piping while serving. This situation continued until

6364-449: The signaling duties included orders to fire, retreat, advance, and so forth. By the 18th century, the military use of the fife was regulated by armies throughout Europe and its colonies. The rank of Fife Major was introduced, a noncommissioned officer responsible for the regiment's fifers, just as a Drum Major was responsible for the drummers. Books of military regulations included standard fife calls to be used in battle or at camp. During

6450-478: The tenors support that pulse, often adding supporting beats, accents and dynamic interest. Tenor drums in their modern form are a relatively new addition to the pipe band. While pipe bands of the past would often include tenor drummers, they would usually be "swinging tenors", players who would swing their sticks for elaborate visual effect but who would rarely play. They are more known as flourishing tenors. Today's tenor drummers play pitched drums, and careful thought

6536-669: The three corps affiliated with him: the New York Regimentals Fife and Drum Band, St. Benedict's Jr. Fife and Drum Corps, and St. Anselm's Jr. Fife and Drum Corps. All were located in the Bronx, New York. These fifes were not otherwise available to the public. In 1960, a second generation of model evolved, specifically labeled the McDonagh Model and made by Roy Seaman, a music repairman whom John met in Manhattan. This model quickly came into popularity. These fifes were mass-produced for sale to

6622-508: The title of World Champion is highly coveted, and this event is seen as the culmination of a year's worth of preparation, rehearsal and practice. Traditionally, the entirety of the World Championships had taken place on one day in August, on Glasgow Green . However, in more recent years, the competition has been spread over Friday and Saturday, with Friday hosting a qualifying event for the Grade 1 final. Typically, several hundred bands attend across

6708-461: The tonic of the key in which a given fife sounds is set as corresponding to D rather than C, such that the written key signature for fife music played in a given concert key would have two fewer sharps or two more flats than would the written key signature used in music written for other transposing-instrument subtypes sounding in the same key. Like the Irish flute and the tin whistle , the ancient fife

6794-568: The traditional fifes – Ferrary, Model F, Peeler, Cooperman, and Sweet fifes – are much better suited to their historical requirements while simultaneously allowing their fifers to play together without the discordance that can result when using instruments from multiple manufacturers. Those who play competitively usually choose McDonagh or Healy fifes, corresponding with a vaguely geographical delineation (New York, New Jersey and western Connecticut groups are more likely to choose McDonagh fifes while competitors in central-to-eastern Connecticut tend towards

6880-412: The tuba's music parts are transposed only across octaves, such that the note sounded by a tuba bears the same name as the note read by the tubist. A convention specific to some fife music and contradictory to the standard is for fife music to be written in the key of D regardless of the key in which the fife in question sounds. The general effect is to define sounded notes in terms of scale degree, as with

6966-458: The two days, traveling from all over the world. Bands arrive early and, in most grades, are required to perform in a qualifying round which takes place in the morning. The top bands at the end of the qualifying round play in a second event in the afternoon to determine an aggregate winner. To win, Grade One bands must perform in two events, a March, Strathspey & Reel event (known as a "set" or "MSR") which consists of three pre-arranged tunes, and

7052-417: The typical uniform consists of a glengarry (cap), shirt, tie, waistcoat (vest), jacket, kilt , hose and ghillie brogues . Many pipe bands wear a tartan that may reflect the area the band originated from or the history of the band. Jackets and waistcoats are usually black, and shirts are often short-sleeved for comfort. Each band also has its own tie, which can match the kilt tartan, or is sometimes merely

7138-491: The well-known Ancient sutler, Leo Brennan of Madison, Connecticut. Bednarz brands his fifes with the name "Model F". In October 2000, another Connecticut maker, Ron Peeler, established Peeler Fifes in Moodus, Connecticut, producing a Ferrary-style instrument as well as several other, more historically-oriented models copied from original early instruments. The Cooperman Fife and Drum was founded in 1961. Cooperman fifes were based on

7224-699: The world. For example, in the Republic of Ireland and North America, Grade 4B is known as Grade 5, and in Australia and New Zealand there is no Novice grade at all. Many pipe bands perform in parades and other public events as a primary activity. These bands are sometimes referred to as "street bands" or "parade bands". Some military bands fall into this category as well, playing for regimental functions in lieu of, or supplemented by, competitions and/or concerts. In recent times, concert performances have become increasingly popular. The purely musical nature of these venues enable

7310-450: Was now living in Arizona. In 1997, John McDonagh, along with a newly formed fife study group, made changes to the original 1962 ten-hole fife. A new manufacturer, Wilson Woods, with oversight from Roy Seaman once again, produced the new fife, designated the Regimental Model. Along with this new fife, a number of fingering changes were suggested to take full advantage of the improved design. For

7396-538: Was taken over by Joseph Morneault, and is now known as Musique Morneaux. Ralph Sweet's son, Walt D. Sweet, has also established his own manufactory, Walt Sweet Flutes. Plastic instruments referred to as "fifes" are available from Yamaha and Angel, but these are not true fifes and are more closely related to the piccolo . They are in the key of C and include a left-hand thumb hole used to play middle C. Books are published on playing this instrument through Just Flutes and Choral Seas Press. Historical re-enactors find that

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