Fifers and Drummers were an important part of the 18th-century military and this Friday, units from as far west as California and as far south as Georgia will make their way to the Revolutionary City to share in stirring performances of Reveille, Retreat, and Tattoo. For those of you you who can’t make the trip, we’ll broadcast Saturday’s festivities live on our website so you can join in the fun!
As soon as each Drummers Call wraps up, we immediately start planning for the next year! Manager of Music and Drum Major Lance Pedigo has been a part of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums since 1972. Who better to talk to about this deep-rooted American tradition and what makes this such a special event for everyone who attends?
The “Core of Corps” According to Lance Pedigo
Why is Drummers Call so important to Colonial Williamsburg?
The tradition of military music through the ages is as important to preserve as art, material, culture, and trades. By hosting an event such as Drummers Call, Colonial Williamsburg is able to display and educate our guests about the importance of Fife and Drum units from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
How long have you participated in this annual event
This will be the 12th annual Drummers Call for Colonial Williamsburg.
How do you find other groups to invite to participate?
The friendship and fellowship of the Fife and Drum community fosters events year round throughout the USA. Our event has become one that welcomes new units and relies on a core of Corps, if you will, to participate.
Is there any unit in particular you’re looking forward to hearing this year?
This year we have both a Union and Confederate Fife and Drum unit participating. I think we will have them play a few tunes together!
What kind of preparation goes into Drummers Call?
Coordination of logistics including performances, meals, and external resources means that our staff is working on this event year round.
Where does the term Military Tattoo come from?
Tattoo was a piece played by the music to announce the time to return to camp for the evening. Loosely translated from a Dutch phrase, Turn the Taps To, meaning the taverns were to close for the evening.
And I couldn’t resist another question (just for fun). It’s one I’ve been dying to know about our own Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums…
Do parents place their children on a waiting list before they’re born or is that just a rumor?
A child could be placed on the waitlist at birth long ago, but now the sign on age is 8 with hopeful entrance at 11 or 12.
Click here for a complete list of events as well as a link to watch the livestream of Saturday’s Grand March and Review. The online registration is easy and it’s free! We’ve also posted a rundown of this year’s participants so you can read up on the groups that are scheduled to perform.
Please enjoy our image gallery featuring pictures from past Drummers Calls! Will you be joining us this weekend?
JF says
It would have been nice to have a list of the participating fife and drum corps. I caught it by chance last evening. I hope to see it again next year.
A little more notice would have been good. We would have planned to come down. We saw one of these of huge proportions in CW in maybe 66, 67 or 68 and it was extremely memorable. My father belonged to a fife and drum corp in RI and CT when I was a child, as well as his father and I’d have been there if we’d known. Is it the same time next year. If so, I’ll plan ahead!
Karen, good suggestion! Next year, we’ll try to get the word out sooner via the Making History blog. But to answer your question, it’s almost always mid-May and it’s been a CW tradition for 12 years. If you want up-to-date info about all the fun planned year-round, you may want to bookmark the special events page from our website http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/do/special-events/ We try to mention all our upcoming programs here with a little more advance notice! We hope to see you next May and be sure to register online now if you want to join us via our livestream on Saturday!
Thanks for another interesting article. Love the fife and drum.
You’re welcome, Kathy. And thank YOU for the feedback!