Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums ensemble is available for parades, concerts, and special events of every sort in many configurations, tailored to meet your needs:

The Fifes & Drums   The Fifes & Drums are a marching band comprising 30 members including a ceremonial Color Guard and Drum Major. The impact of the formal 18th century uniform and precise maneuvering will give your audiences a sight they won’t soon forget.

 

When the very hot weather makes the wearing of wigs and heavy wool rather…well…unhealthy, we appear in an elegant uniform of 1812, complete with a ‘low topper’.

 

If your event is threatened by wet weather, we don our hunting frocks, rain hats, and continue on despite the monsoon.

 

 

Concerts We are frequently called upon to present full-length narrated concerts, either indoors or out. An annual event is our 2-hour outdoor concert sponsored by the Boston Harborfest each July, and we frequently trek south to Colonial Williamsburg for concerts and special events.

 

Chamber Consort

Regimental musicians of the 18th century were often called upon to perform above and beyond their daily duties. In the absence of a proper wind band (normally associated with Artillery), fifers would provide genteel music for Officers’ soirees and festive occasions where the raucous clatter of the fifes & drums would simply be inappropriate. In this spirit, MCV has formed a chamber quartet of fifers attired in a more formal order of the MCV field livery, presenting classical, folk, and martial music of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The quartet performs on a combination of Bb and Eb bass fifes to produce a pleasing chamber sound suitable for indoor occasions.  The repertoire includes works from composers such as Mozart, Handel, O’Carolan, Billings, Oswald, Bach, and Mouret.

 

Special Events

We also provide smaller ensembles appropriate to special events, especially those indoors. A quartet comprising three fifes and a drum is perfect to welcome conference attendees to a reception or symposium, or to lead your guests from a reception to dinner. Historic uniforms, historic music, all here in historic Boston. Just please remember that even a single drum played indoors is very LOUD!

 

Color Guard Dressed in the uniform of George Washington’s Continental Infantry, the color guard escorts historical flags with period weapons. This dignified section can be booked separately from the Fifes & Drums, and is most appropriate for dedication ceremonies, or for the Honor Division of parades, accompanied by a drummer if desired.

 

How to Reach Us

For booking performances, product information, or to inquire about becoming a performing member or part of our support network, please peruse this website, or you may contact us directly at:

Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums
105 Boston Avenue
Medford, Massachusetts 02155 USA
Phone/fax: 781-488-3206 
E-mail: