On a brilliant Saturday, a parade overtook the town of Branford.
“Those uniforms,” exclaimed Stony Creek’s Marie Denardi Gordon, amid a crush of spectators lining Montowese Avenue as the Kentish Guards, clad in dragoon hats and distinctive Federal period uniforms, passed by.
The Kentish Guards, an East Greenwich, R.I, group established in 1774, was among 31 corps featured in a two-day national muster that included a performance exhibition and a mass jam session, in addition to the parade through town.
The Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps hosted the event.
“I love it,” said Branford’s Jean Ventura, with the Mattatuck Drum Corps parading by in Revolutionary uniforms, their bass drums thundering. “What a treat for this town.”
On and on they came, filing forth from Hammer Field, along Meadow Street, and onto Montowese. Corps of every size, costume and period, with members of every age; and lively tunes from “Battle Hymn of the Republic” to “Colonel Bogey” to “Yankee Doodle” that had paradegoers clapping along and shouting with glee.
“So much talent, so much history,” said Barbara Cowles, who was stationed with Gary Carlson at the corner of Meadow and Montowese, amid the shrilling fifes and crisp snare drums from Washington, D.C.’s Ameri-Clique.
“It’s an amazing feeling of camaraderie,” said Thom Knowles, as he led the Yalesville Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps along South Main Street. “All of us coming together doing this.”
William Mager traveled from Moodus to watch his daughter and granddaughter perform with the Ancient Mariners.
“This is how they used to communicate on the battlefield,” he said, as the group, with their Breton striped shirts and up-tempo colonial work songs, jauntily passed by. “It’s part of why we’re here today.”
Suzanne Randall and Kathy Cattanach were heading into Hammer Field. Their kids started at the age of 8 with the Colonel John Chester Fife and Drum Corps in Wethersfield.
“Everyone talks about soccer and basketball, but fife and drum builds a tremendous sense of discipline and teamwork,” Cattanach said.
For the bigger musters, she said, the group commonly travels together.
“Everywhere we go, we camp and we’ve become a family,” she said. “And having been to plenty, I can tell you this one is just fabulous.”
At Hammer Field, which was humming with corps members relaxing near tents and RVs and enjoying 1886 Ale draft beers from Stony Creek Brewery, John Wedlock from the Kentish Guards was removing his hat.
He started playing fife in fifth grade and has been with the Kentish Guards since 1974, he said.
“I just love to play,” he said, amid the aroma of sausage and peppers from the Italian American Club as the last corps marched back into Hammer Field. “This is our musical heritage. We have to keep it going.”
For more information about Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps, visit stonycreekdrumcorps.org.
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National muster descends on Branford with spirited pageantry, lively tunes, living history - CT Insider
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