Chapter 10 – The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums Alumni Association

CWF&D 1974-1983

Bill White recalls the growth of the Corps in the 1970’s. He says “the waiting list was getting quite long and parents began putting names on the list when the kids were born. There also was a big explosion in programs: the Militia came under John Moon; the Musick Teacher’s room was inaugurated; African American programs were started; and there were many special events.”

In May of 1974, the Company of Military Historians held their annual meeting in Williamsburg and the Corps performed for them. Moon was “asked to present a slide lecture on the subject of Field Music, the first of many such opportunities to highlight the importance of the genre.

Moon also was promoted to Manager of the Fifes and Drums, Magazine and Militia Programs. This promotion signaled a reversal of the roles of the Corps and the Militia. At the inception of the Corps, and for most of the 1960’s, the Corps had been a supplement to the Militia, performing primarily with the Militia with a minor independent schedule. During the 60’s there were only a few independent performances assigned to the Corps, such as “Magazine Duty”, “I Am a Drum” programs at the Information Center, and conferences, but the shift was beginning to occur. By 1974, the Corps had grown in popularity, size and importance to the point where it had become larger than the Militia.

In August the Corps recorded its second record album, The Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg. Unlike its first album in 1968 that was shared with the Band of Musick, this album (which would be released in 1975) contained only tracks recorded by the Corps. The recording sessions took place in the main room of the 1932 Courthouse Building. Also in August Disney Productions filmed the Corps using a 360-degree camera for the Monsanto Pavilion at Disney World.

In October all the “white small clothing was withdrawn and taken to Charlottesville… to be dyed buff, as was proper for the SGR.” A company in Charlottesville had been chosen because they had the expertise to dye the clothing using only vegetable dye, as would have been done in the 18^th century.

February of 1975 saw the Corps take in its first full recruit “class”, taking in ten fife and eight drum recruits. A second class would enter in September. The classes were a big improvement over past admission practices. The classes were more efficient and allowed groups of fifers and drummers to be trained and to progress together. As mentioned earlier in this text, in 1965 there were 22 start dates for Recruits. The “one room school house” had progressed to become a better organized school divided into large classes.

Entering the 1975 recruit class was a fifer, Tim Sutphin, who would later become supervisor of the Corps.

In April the Corps performed for a visit of HMS Ark Royal.

The Corps performed in a unique light and sound program at the Powder Magazine on the night of April 20, 1975, to depict the 200^th anniversary of the Powder Magazine incident that occurred in the early morning hours of April 21, 1775. The following is an excerpt from Reporting the Revolutionary War by Todd Andrlik, founding editor of the Journal of the American Revolution:

“After the Port of Boston’s closing, the House of Burgesses called for a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer in support of the people of Massachusetts. John Murray, the Fourth Earl of Dunmore and governor of Virginia, quickly denounced this act and dissolved Virginia’s representative body. The Burgesses moved their session to the Raleigh Tavern and commenced the First Virginia Convention on August 1, 1774. Taking matters into their own hands, the Burgesses, along with merchants in the city, decided to stop importing goods from England. By the fall of 1774, independent companies formed across the colony. These men kept watch over the colony as tensions ran high and helped to enforce the nonimportation agreement. Only a month after the Second Virginia Convention and Patrick Henry’s infamous “Liberty or Death” speech, Lord Dunmore made a decision that forever changed the course of the colonies’ history.

“On the morning of Friday, April 21, 1775, Lord Dunmore gave orders to … remove fifteen barrels of gunpowder from the magazine at Williamsburg. Under the cover of darkness, plans were executed successfully between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. Later that morning, the citizens of Williamsburg were outraged and immediately armed and mobilized the Independent Company.

“The news of the powder being taken spread across Virginia rapidly. Editors William Hunter and John Dixon printed in their newspaper, the Virginia Gazette, an address from the mayor of Williamsburg on April 22, 1775. They wrote ‘that the inhabitants of this city were this morning exceedingly alarmed by a report that a large quantity of gunpowder was in the preceding night, while they were sleeping in their beds, removed from the public magazine in this city.’ The citizens requested:

“…as guardians of this city, we therefore humbly desire to be informed by your Excellency, upon what motives, and for what particular purpose, the powder has been carried off […]

“Militia and independent companies across Virginia mustered and prepared to march on Williamsburg to forcibly, if necessary, take the powder back. The Pennsylvania Evening Post reported on May 9, 1775, that Mann Page Jr., Esq., rode from Fredericksburg to Williamsburg to find out if the powder was returned. The newspaper reported that the taking of the powder ‘had spread general alarm, and greatly exasperated all ranks of people.’ Patrick Henry publicly demanded that Dunmore either return the gunpowder or pay £330 for it. Thousands of armed men marched on Williamsburg under the command of Henry. Lord Dunmore, enraged over Henry’s request, demanded his arrest. While camped at Doncastle’s Ordinary, nearly fifteen miles from the capital, word was received that the governor paid the treasury for the powder. This stalled armed conflict in Virginia.

“Many of the organized militia companies continued and camped in Williamsburg, setting the tone for the next several months. A continuous guard was placed on the capital and magazine. The homes of Robert Carter Nicholas, treasurer of the colony of Virginia, and Peyton Randolph were also placed under guard. News of the first shots at Lexington arrived in Williamsburg by express rider on the evening of April 28. The Revolution had already begun. The Williamsburg gunpowder incident prompted the Third Virginia Convention, which established an interim government and allowed the raising of regiments within the colony. This posture of defense allowed Virginia to prepare and organize for their first major battle against the British at Great Bridge.”
Reporting the Revolutionary War Before It Was History, It Was News
Todd Andrlik – Sourcebooks – 2012

In May the Corps performed for the ABC-TV Show “Make a Wish” and in June for a French TV crew. In June the Corps performed for the West German Chancellor.

By June the Corps, or members of the Corps, were performing seven days a week, which would continue through the summer. The Corps performed at a welcoming ceremony at Patrick Henry Airport for Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagaka of Japan. The July 4^th ceremony was attended by Alexsandre Solzhenitsyn, and then the Corps returned to Ft. Monroe for another combined concert. On July 27^th the Corps performed at Fort Eustis for the 200^th anniversary of the Chaplaincy. In October the Corps performed in the William & Mary Sunset Parade in the Sunken Garden, and for Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. A brief comparison of the Christmas events for 1965 and 1975 shows how the Corps had grown in importance to Colonial Williamsburg.

1975

City Christmas Parade
Colonial Weekends
Holiday Prelude
Grand Illumination
Christmas Fifes
Capital Concerts
Palace Green Illumination
Cascades Party
Carol Programs
Holiday Drums
St. George Play
Colonial Games
Palace Concerts
Auditorium Concert
Wren Building Concerts
Junior corps Parades
Student Programs
Dance Programs

1965

City Christmas Parade
Firing of the Holiday Guns
Lighting of Christmas Tree
Grand Illumination
Holiday Musters

In January of 1976, the Corps performed for President Gerald R. Ford. The Corps also received new rifle shirts. In March the Corps held its first annual “Corps Meeting,” a tradition that continues to this day. The May 4^th Militia muster was filmed by the BBC for a documentary on Colonial Virginia.

The July 4^th, 1976, celebration was broadcast on CBS with Roger Mudd. On July 25^th the Corps performed in the 200^th anniversary celebration of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Williamsburg. The Corps also performed for the Prime Minister of Ireland and at the opening of the Yorktown Victory Center.

In August the Corps recorded its third album, A Concert of Military Music, and in September members of the Corps became “Juvenile Performers”. According to Moon:

Collaboration with the Employee Department resulted in our deciding to apply for Theatrical Work Permits for all student members, allowing us greater flexibility in their hours required to perform. The forms for application were received from Richmond and this important administrative step was completed by the end of the month, with members, their parents and supervisors signing the documents. From now on, regardless of internal nomenclature, the students were officially designated as Juvenile Performers.
John C. Moon

In the spring of 1977, the Corps received a visit from Pat Cooperman to discuss the first set of drums recently ordered from him. In March Moon received the results of a Colonial Williamsburg survey conducted in 1976:

A Foundation survey held in 1976 was shared with departments and showed that the Fifes and Drums were the most popular, and the most well-remembered experience of our visitors, which prompted internal discussions as to upgrading and expanding the program even more.
John C. Moon

In 1977, Charles “Buck” Soistman died at the age of 93. Soistman was a famed fifer, drummer, drum maker, teacher and musician of Middle River, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. He was a true icon in and promoter of ancient fifing and drumming. The following are excerpts from an article in the Baltimore Sun published in 1963;

Mr. Soistman was a professional drummer since he was 15 years old and he is the fourth generation of his family to work on the instruments. His great-grandfather made drums for the Union Army in the Civil War, his grandfather made them for other organizations, and his father repaired them.
Mr. Soistman’s interest in Colonial drums was aroused in 1946, when he went to a convention with fellow members of the 5^th Regiment Veterans Corps. There he met men of the Noah Webster Ancient Fife and Drum Corps of West Hartford, Connecticut, who used rebuilt drums. “That was all it took to get me started.”
Before he could equip his own first corps with drums of antique types, however, he had to learn the details of both their construction and their use, and this turned out to be a five-year task. Every two weeks or so during this time [late 1940’s] he went to New York to see Sanford A. (Gus) Moeller, another maker of such reproductions.
Old music that was needed, and other items of interest, was found on trips to the Library of Congress. By 1951 Mr. Soistman had turned out his first drums, and formed the Monumental City Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, which marched in Colonial costume in many Baltimore parades…
About the time this corps took its first steps at a Colonial cadence, more than twenty steps a minute slower than the present-day rule, Mr. Soistman received his first outside order, from the 2^nd Army Pipe Band. Its leader asked Mr. Soistman to make a set according to the old design.
His Colonial snare drums are about 21” deep and 17” across the head – about 9” deeper and 3” wider than modern drums. Another obvious difference is the system of cords and leather “ears” around the sides. Their function, to keep proper tension of the drumheads, is now generally performed by metal rods. The snare, snubbed tight across the bottom by brass fitting, is heavier on the old drums, too.
Mr. Soistman makes only one concession to the development of modern materials; he uses birch plywood in place of solid ash for the drum’s midsection. Bent in a machine that melts the glue between the layers of wood and then allows it to dry again, the plywood has fewer tendencies to crack than do solid boards.
Mr. Soistman hand-paints the decorations on the drums, – eagles, bands of royal red and blue, regimental insignia complete with battle decorations. Sometimes he paints the owner’s name in a decorative scroll on the portion of the drum that will hang next to the body.
The old-style drums have a deeper, heavier sound than most of those made today, Mr. Soistman says, due in part to their size and in part to the heavier snares. They also require a different playing technique – a movement of the whole arm rather than a flick of the wrist.
Baltimore Sun, 1963

In March of 1978 the Corps performed or the opening of the Center for State Courts and in April for a Japanese Government delegation.

A series of classes were given to the Corps on background and lineage field music, a subject dear to Moon. The second chapter of his Compendium is devoted to “Field Music History” and the Forward to his book deals solely with the subject:

Common music in the military is a large, controversial and often misunderstood subject. There are two distinct areas of Military Music, that of Military Bands and that of Field Music. Naturally, the emphasis in this Compendium will be on FIELD MUSIC. The two are intertwined and often interdependent, but should not be treated as one entity. Such treatment has been the cause of many misconceptions in recently published books and papers devoted to the subjects, hence my need to clearly define the two sub-divisions before entering the maze. From a musical aspect, the subject of Field Music may be considered by many to be a conflict in terms, denigrating the genre as merely a moving noise and it is true that, in analysis, there are many musical black marks on its ledger.
Firstly, the drum is the constant, the driving force, the ever-present instrument upon which all military field music is based. This is so far removed from the conventional musical concept that percussive instruments are merely accompanying instruments, that many writers and researchers confuse their approach to the subject and often dismiss the sounds produced as “hopelessly over-drummed”.
Secondly, the primary function of field music, no matter what other instrumentation may be used to be coupled with the drum, is regulatory in nature and the musicality of the sounds is of lesser importance than the sounds themselves, an unnatural state of mind to the conventional musician.
Thirdly, the key is communication. Field music, no matter the period, nationality or continent, is designed to communicate orders or times of day, or warnings when the human voice cannot be heard or is less efficient then the beat of the drum. Consequently, musical dynamic shadings are detrimental rather than enhancing to the end product, a state far removed from the Military Band.
These three black marks tend to colour the musicologists’ perception of field music, often convincing them that the subject is a necessary evil that should be dealt with summarily and as quickly as possible. This perception is pervasive and is a great contributing factor to the dearth of written material. Another, major factor is the habit throughout the centuries of passing down military rites and ceremonies through oral rather than written channels, a topic that will be included within the paragraphs of these chapters.
So, to Field Music, and its importance to the Foundation. Its importance to the military is summed up in regal fashion by Edward, Duke of York, who quoted:
Drum and drummer were in the centre of every British square for Marlborough. The drum taps carried the orders to the soldiers in the line and the sound of the drumming behind them gave them the encouragement and strength required to face and overcome the fears and horrors of the battlefield.
A Compendium for the Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg
John C. Moon

In August of 1978, Dorothy Poucher was hired as the secretary of the Corps. In September the Corps traveled to Philadelphia to participate in the Von Steuben Day celebrations. In November the ABC-TV Perry Como Colonial Williamsburg Christmas Show was taped in Williamsburg. John Wayne was a guest star on the show and Corps members had an opportunity to meet and talk with him during filming in the Governor’s Palace gardens. The Corps also played for the 50^th anniversary of Colonial Williamsburg and White remembers pieces of the fireworks and ash raining on the Corps as it performed in front of the Governor’s Palace.

Also in 1978 the decision was made to construct a new specially designed building for the Corps. Moon had been asking for such a building since 1972. Over the years the Corps had been shuffled from one building to another and it was time for the Corps to have its own home. The decision may have had some divine intervention. During a visit to the 1932 Courthouse by CW President Charles R. Longsworth, Moon was giving Longsworth a tour and lobbying for a new building. Suddenly, several pieces of tile fell from the ceiling narrowly missing them and they both joked there was a message in the near miss.

In March of 1979, Moon met with Earl Pope of Juster Pope, the architectural firm that Colonial Williamsburg had retained to design a new headquarters building for the Corps. In August the Corps traveled to Toronto, Canada, to perform at the Canadian National Exposition. Making the trip was Bill White, who had made the same trip with the Corps in 1967. The Corps also performed at Old Ft. George in Canada and at Old Ft. Niagara, New York.

In January of 1980 the Corps played for the Olympic Torch as it journeyed to Lake Placid, New York, and in February the Corps played for the Virginia General Assembly when they met in the Williamsburg Capitol building.

Moon was promoted to Director of the Company of Colonial Performers (CCP) in 1980. As a condition of accepting the position Moon asked that it be of a short time period so he could revert back to leading the Corps. White was appointed Manager of the Corps. Construction of the new Fife and Drum building began in the summer. The Courthouse of 1932 was to be razed for reconstruction of the Nicholas-Tyler House, which was located on the site in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries; however, the reconstruction has yet to take place.

In May, the Corps played for His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Great Britain. After the performance, Prince Charles approached Moon and said, “You must have been a drum major in the British Army.” Moon replied “Yes sir! And I used to work for your mother; what made you ask?” Prince Charles replied, “I recognized the drum covers being rolled properly.” Prince Charles also asked about why the shoes and belt buckles of the Corps were not polished. Moon replied they would have been “clean but not polished” in the 18^th century.

Then Prince Charles asked if Moon had a “Warrant” and John replied that he did. “He was quite pleased” recalls Moon. The “Warrant” Prince Charles referred to was from the Royal Household designating Moon as the “Drummer to the Royal Household.”

In the spring of 1981, White was promoted to Military Music Master when the Corps was brought under the direction of the new CCP. By March of 1981 the new Fife and Drum Building was completed and the Corps began to move in. The new building was one of Moon’s most important contributions to the Corps. One year later an article in Williamsburg’s Public Observer noted “after one year’s use by 145 boys ages 8-18, the walls bear not a single piece of graffiti.” The article then quoted Moon “I’ve threatened each of them with death if there’s one mark on this building.”

On June 6, 1981, the official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the Fife and Drum building was held. Moon chose Jonathan Hugins, the youngest member of the Senior Corps, to cut the ribbon. The new building was specially designed for the Corps and included numerous energy saving features. One particularly unique design was to vent the drum storage room to the outside. This was to allow the drums to be stored in the same humidity as the outside. Otherwise, storing the drums “inside” would subject them to dryer humidity and the constant changes between the two are harmful to the drums, particularly the calfskin heads.

On July 4^th the Corps repeated two performances from previous years: first on Market Square; then at Ft. Monroe. In September the Corps played for the visit of the Lord Mayor of London.

In October the Corps marched the entire 15 miles from Market Square in Williamsburg to Yorktown to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the victory at Yorktown. The 7 ½ hour March was, and remains, the longest in the Corps’ history, according to Moon. Later that day the Corps performed for President Ronald Reagan and French Prime Minister Francois Mitterrand at the governor’s Palace where President Reagan hosted a state dinner celebrating the 200^th anniversary. In December the Corps played for West Virginia Governor Jay Rockefeller.

In 1982 the Corps continued to perform at all the regularly scheduled performances, returned to the Ft. Eustis Day of Excellence, and performed for a cricket match on Market Square between the British Embassy and NATO personnel.

During the 80’s there were a number of Corps alumni who returned to the Corps as part-time or full-time staff. In the early 1980’s Dylan Pritchett returned as the Fife Instructor and he also drum majored the Corps including the 15-mile march to Yorktown in October of 1981. In 1982, Todd Johnson became the part-time Drum Instructor. When Pritchett left, Jack Underwood became the Fife Instructor, and Johnson became the full-time Drum Instructor in 1983. In 1985 Underwood left and Steve Martin became the Fife Instructor. In the mid 80’s John Shoosmith became Drum Instructor and Paul Vosteen became Fife Instructor. In 1986 Johnson became Administrator of the Corps and in 1988 Tim Sutphin joined as the part-time Fife Instructor.

May of 1983 saw the Corps undertake one of its most demanding and high-profile assignments, when it repeatedly performed for the Economic Summit of Industrial Nations, meeting in Williamsburg. Among those attending were President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, French President Francois Mitterrand, and German Prime Minister Helmut Kohl. Moon summarized the Corps’ performance as follows:

The largest involvement with the State Department was experienced with President Reagan hosting the Economic Summit of the Industrial Nations…. It is worth mentioning here that the Senior Corps and SGR were required to attend every official arrival and departure of the seven Heads of States as well as to support many other functions and receptions over the Summit period. I believe this pressure-packed time to be the culmination of all the work and effort that had gone into training the Corps to be the best in the country at its given roles. Local schools and parents were most helpful in allowing our members to make up work at other times so that they could have the experience of performing important ceremonies for such an occasion. Great credit must go to Bill White for his sterling work in leading this group of young men to be alert and performance-ready at all hours of day and night, and be prepared for last-minute changes as a matter of form.
John C. Moon, on the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations, 1983

In May the Corps also performed for the opening of Kings Mill. The summer of 1983 saw Moon leave his office in the Fife and Drum Building and move to an office in a building up the street to manage the CCP. White moved into Moon’s old office. The CCP served as the umbrella organization for all music activities at Colonial Williamsburg. In 1985, Moon and White would switch positions, and offices, thus fulfilling Moon’s request in 1980 that he be allowed to return to the Corps: White became the Director of the CCP and Moon reverted to Musick Master of the Corps.