Lambeg Drums

I stumbled upon another fife and drum tradition that I did not know about before, and it involves really big bass drums called Lambeg drums. They are played by the Protestant Scot-Irish in northern Ireland. From what I can tell the origin of the drums is a little fuzzy, but there is some connection with King William of Orange who saved the Covenanters in Ireland from persecution in the 1680s. They seem to have become more popular in their present state in the early to mid-1800s. While I still like American fife and drum better, its neat to see another fife and drum tradition, especially among the Scot-Irish whose emigrants in America did so much for the cause of liberty.

-Peter Bringe

 Memor!

The George W. Cook Fife and Drum Corps of Denver

I found two old newspapers that mention the George W. Cook Fife and Drum Corps, from Denver, CO. They appear to be Union veterans from the Civil War. Here are the mentions:

From the Philadelphia Record, 1900. It appears to be recording the events of the Republican Convention where they were determining their presidential nominee. Theodore Roosevelt ended up being the Vice President, and then President when McKinney was assassinated. This clip has a picture of the corps. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LNBVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wEANAAAAIBAJ&pg=1659,1074362&dq=fife+and+drum&hl=en

From the Democrat and Standard, 1902. It mentions the corps in an article on the 36th annual encampment for the veteran's of the Grand Army of the Republic in Washington D. C. It calls the corps "One of the most famous organizations of its kind in the country." http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZxNmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u48NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7195,1914009&dq=fife+and+drum+corps+denver&hl=en

So Colorado does have a history of fife and drum!

-Peter Bringe
 Memor!