Sailing Masters of 1812
History
The Sailing Masters
of 1812 is an ancient fife and drum corps based in Essex, Connecticut. The
Corps was founded in 1963 as the Essex Fife and Drum Corps to perpetuate the
art of ancient fifing and drumming and to commemorate the role of Essex in
the War of 1812. The “ancestors” of the Sailing Masters were the men who
played with the Comstock Drum Corps, which was based in Ivoryton,
Connecticut (a village in the town of Essex) during the latter part of the
19th century. Many of the current Corps’ drum beatings are the
same as those played by the Comstock Corps.
Uniform
The Corps
uniform is that of the Sailing Master, the third ranking officer on board
the ship-of-the-line of the United States Navy during the 1810-1815 period.
The Sailing Master was responsible for overall operation of the ship while
underway including sail integrity and maintenance and proper execution of
furling and unfurling the sails on the seas and in port. Our uniform is an
authentic reproduction of that worn by Captain Stephen Decatur during this
period as certified by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Music
Our music repertoire
spans the 250 year period from 1750 to the present, and includes the major
patriotic and martial music from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil
War. The music is played on 6-hole wooden fifes (no keys) and
rope-tensioned snare and bass drums. The drums have calf skin
snare heads and leather ears, which are pulled to tighten the drum for
playing. All of our drums were hand made by the Eames Drum Company.
Events – The Commemoration
On the second Saturday
of May every year, the Sailing Masters hold the annual 'Burning of the Ships
Commemoration' in Essex. This event commemorates the attack by British
forces on the village of Essex in 1814, where 28 wooden warships under
construction were burned or destroyed. with a value estimated to be close to
$200,000 in 1814 dollars. This marked the first time our country was
invaded by a foreign enemy. We commemorate this event because of its role in
the War of 1812 and its significance in galvanizing support for the defeat
of the British. The event begins at the Town Hall with a parade down Main
Street at 2:00 P.M.. Other fife and drum corps from the Connecticut River
Valley participate in the parade and perform in a small “muster” that
follows at the foot of Main Street near Steamboat Dock. The parade then
continues back to the Town Hall for refreshments and a “jollification”,
where all musicians play favorite tunes of the genre.
Other Events
The Corps participates
in the annual fife and drum musters in Deep River (July) and Westbrook
(August) Connecticut. In the United States, we have performed in Atlanta,
Georgia, Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Louis, Missouri; marched in the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City; performed at Fort McHenry in
Baltimore, Maryland; and of course, the Corps has had innumerable
appearances throughout the state and the region, with annual performances in
Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Fisher’s Island, New York, Vermont and New
Hampshire. Of special note is our marching in the Constitution Bicentennial
Parade in Philadelphia in 1987, our playing on board the U.S.S. Constitution
under sail in 1997 and our three-time participation in Bermuda’s Beat
Retreat Ceremony in Hamilton and St. George.
|
