Experience martial music at its best at Fort Ticonderoga on July 29 during the Fife and Drum Corps Muster! From the American Revolution, to modern commemoration, learn about the practical purpose of fifes and drums. Enjoy the stirring rhythms and tunes 
of these classic marches and camp songs throughout the day. A special evening Twilight Fife & Drum Corps Concert will be presented at 7:00 p.m. on the fort parade ground.
“The Fife and Drum Corps Muster highlights the role Fife and Drum music has played in the commemoration of American history. The Fife and Drum Corps gained increased popularity during the American bicentennial celebrations,” said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “In 18th-century military life, fifes and drums served as one of the primary modes of battlefield communication and camp regulation.”
Fort Ticonderoga formed its first Fife and Drum Corps in 1926, on the eve of the 150th anniversary celebration of American Independence. The Corps performed at Fort Ticonderoga each summer until the beginning of World War II. When the World’s Fair came to New York City in 1939, the Fife and Drum Corps was a featured performance on May 10th, Fort Ticonderoga Day, celebrating the 164th anniversary of the capture of the Fort by Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, and the Green Mountain Boys.
In 1973, in preparation for the bicentennial, Fort Ticonderoga revived the Fife and Drum Corps to perform daily during the museum campus’ summer season. The Fife and Drum Corps has performed every year since, and has been a featured performance at many major public events, including the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games, the Christening of the US Navy Guided Missile Cruiser USS Ticonderoga CG-47, and several Evacuation Day parades in Boston, Massachusetts.
Today the Fort Ticonderoga Fife and Drum Corps is comprised of Ticonderoga area High School students who are paid employees of Fort Ticonderoga, an independent, not-for-profit educational organization and museum. The Fife and Drum Corps is part of Fort Ticonderoga’s Interpretive Department whose focus brings to life Fort Ticonderoga’s history through daily interpretive programs, historic trades, special events, and museum educational outreach.
America’s Fort is a registered trademark of the Fort Ticonderoga Association.
Photo: Photo Credit: Fort Ticonderoga. Join Fort Ticonderoga July 29, 2017 for the Fife and Drum Corps Muster. A special evening Twilight Fife and Drum Corps Concert will be presented at 7:00 p.m. on the fort parade ground.