MUSIC

By the time of the American War for Independence there were two drummers assigned to each company and four fifers assigned to the Grenadiers. The Music was an integral part of the Regiment on the battlefield.  Ever since ancient times, music has been the key signalling source for thousands of armies.  Chances were that a person would not be able to hear his officer or serjeant shouting over the raucous of war.  Drummers and Fifers would play tunes to relay commands across from one company or regiment to another.  As you will notice, the Drummers and Fifers always wore reversed colours from the soldiers in the Regiment.  While the soldiers wore red coats with yellow facings (trim), the Drummers and Fifers wore yellow coats with red facings.  This helped to identify which musicians belonged to which regiment during battle.  This was helpful not only to the soldiers fighting, but also for any observers watching the fray from afar. A Drum-Major commanded the drummers and a Fife-Major commanded the fifers. They did not become ranks in the British Army until 1810 when they were given the rank of a Serjeant.

The band in the photograph above is led by the Drum-Major who wore a uniform quite different from that of the other drummers. It was the showpiece of the Regiment.

Drum-Major Anthony Jenkins

Fife-Major Mary Stone

The music is the Scottish tune Johnny Cope.