The Titanic 100

Over this last weekend we performed at The Titanic 100: An International Centennial Event, held in Branson, Missouri. As its title says, it was in commemoration of the sinking of the Titanic, one hundred years ago. It sank April 15, 1912 (April 14th Central Standard Time). You might be wondering what our fife and drum corps was doing at an event centered around a time exactly one hundred years after our time period. We also wondered a little at first, but here are a few reasons:

1. Fife and Drum and Celebrations in General

One way I like to say it is that fife and drum is the uniquely American outworking of the biblical principle of Numbers 10:1-10 (see my earlier post concerning this here: http://westernplainsfifeanddrumcorps.blogspot.com/2011/12/fife-and-drum-in-bible.html). Basically, the fife and drum works for almost all events and celebrations as our way of commemoration and festivities. This is especially true for outdoor or larger events where the volume and stateliness of the fife and drum are needed. Not to exclude other instruments, but it really can add a bit to these kinds of event.

2. Fife and Drum and the Time Period of the Titanic

While we reenact the fife and drums of the late 1700s and early 1800s, there were many fifers and drummers active around the time of the Titanic. Fife and drum saw an increase in popularity after the War Between the States with all the veterans coming home with these unique musical skills. Many civilian corps imitating the military style (like us) were formed in the following years. Earlier I wrote about my finding old newspapers that referred to a George W. Cook Fife and Drum Corps from Denver, CO that played in 1900 at the Republican Convention where Theodore Roosevelt ended up being nominated the Vice President (he went on to become President after President McKinney's assassination). 1912 found Roosevelt running again for the Presidency, and he and his rival, William H. Taft, had many friends on the Titanic.

3. Fife and Drum and Our Local Contribution to the Ideals of the Titanic

This was the "International Centennial Event" and I think we added to this feel by representing Missouri and the surrounding areas in our contribution to the virtues of sacrifice and manhood. When we get specific, we reenact the Missouri Territorial Militia of the War of 1812. They were ordinary men from different walks of life that gave up their time, comfort, money, and sometimes their lives, to protect their women, children, and homes from Indian attacks.

Most likely people only recognized the first reason, but regardless, it was a great event to attend and to perform at. The Titanic represents the power of the progressive era and the coming of modernity, and the heroism of the people on the sinking Titanic represents one of the last stands of the older Western civilization. It is indeed an important historical event to be remembered.

Thomas was a bit tired at the end :)

Driving around the Ozarks

-Peter B.

Memor!

Fife & Drum in Art: The Militia Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch

Here is a painting, titled The Militia Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch (also known as The Night Watch), which has a drummer in it (the very right of the picture). It was painted by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1642. It shows what a Dutch militia company would have looked like being called to arms by the drummer during that time, and the drummer and his drum are very similarity to what we do in fife and drum today. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688 there was a Dutch influence on Britain, and it is likely that it influenced fife and drum as well.

For more information on the painting, and for several other Dutch militia paintings see: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_assets/SK-C-5?lang=en&context_space=aria_catalogs&context_id=Term_00027329_en

-Peter B.

 Memor!