Drummer
'For the Drum is the voice of the Commander, the spurre of the valiant and the heart of the coward'
- Col. W.Barriffe
The military drum of the 17th Century was firstly a musical instrument that aided morale and secondly the only way to transmit orders over the din of battle. English Civil War drummers and fifers were men and occasionally women of very able and praiseworthy qualities with all the qualities of a perfect soldier - obedience, silence, secrecy, sobriety, valour and loyalty being great examples of duty, close in all councels, temperate in the delivery of messages and stout in the will of their commanders. Drummers were also considered as junior officers.
Col. William Barriffe laid down seven drumbeats to use during battles in his military manual - the call, the troop, the march, the preparative, the battail or charge, the retreat and the charge for horse.
Col. Samuel Jones' and the London Brigade drummers currently use six of the above signals on the field and play six different marches. You don't need to read music to be a drummer but you MUST have a good sense of rhythm, be able to keep in time with your fellow drummers, have plenty of stamina and good concentration, be confident enough to play a strong beat on your own without fear and vary your speed as required by the commanding officer.
Col. Samuel Jones' drummers use red garrison drums, some of the largest on the field, in keeping with it's garrison
- Col. W.Barriffe
The military drum of the 17th Century was firstly a musical instrument that aided morale and secondly the only way to transmit orders over the din of battle. English Civil War drummers and fifers were men and occasionally women of very able and praiseworthy qualities with all the qualities of a perfect soldier - obedience, silence, secrecy, sobriety, valour and loyalty being great examples of duty, close in all councels, temperate in the delivery of messages and stout in the will of their commanders. Drummers were also considered as junior officers.
Col. William Barriffe laid down seven drumbeats to use during battles in his military manual - the call, the troop, the march, the preparative, the battail or charge, the retreat and the charge for horse.
Col. Samuel Jones' and the London Brigade drummers currently use six of the above signals on the field and play six different marches. You don't need to read music to be a drummer but you MUST have a good sense of rhythm, be able to keep in time with your fellow drummers, have plenty of stamina and good concentration, be confident enough to play a strong beat on your own without fear and vary your speed as required by the commanding officer.
Col. Samuel Jones' drummers use red garrison drums, some of the largest on the field, in keeping with it's garrison
