Military and musical history will be celebrated with a very big birthday party, colonial style, this weekend.  More than 35 fife and drum corps from a variety of states -- plus a contingent from Switzerland -- will converge on Fort Adams in Newport.  The two-day muster is being hosted by the Kentish Guards and the Pawtuxet Rangers, both of which are Rhode Island Revolutionary War era militia, each celebrating 250 years since their inception.

This is the first time that Rhode Island has hosted a national fife and drum muster and the event, which is free to the public, will bring history alive with music and marching.  Colonel Ronald W. Barnes, commanding officer of the Pawtuxet Rangers, estimates that there will be about 700 participants, including corps members and volunteer supporters.

“It’s a real honor for Rhode Island to be hosting this year’s national muster,” said Major Linda Deming, commander of the Pawtuxet Rangers Fife and Drum Corps. “It’s always an honor to put on the red coat of our uniform, but this is very special.  Sometimes we perform on baseball or football fields, but this time we will be in Fort Adams, which is 200 years old.”  Deming, who plays the fife, noted that planning the event has also benefited from the existing comradery between the Pawtuxet Rangers and the Kentish National Guard.

Both were chartered on Oct. 29, 1774, but the Kentish Guard can claim seniority by a few hours.  “They were chartered before lunch, we were chartered after lunch,” Barnes said with a laugh.  They were both Revolutionary era militias charged with protecting colonists.  Historically, fife and drum corps were an integral part of militias, as they helped commanding officers communicate with their troops, signaling marching beats or other maneuvers.

They typically played patriotic or folk tunes, many written specifically for fife and drum corps.  Songs that will echo off the thick stone walls of Fort Adams this weekend will likely include Minstrel Boy, New Tatter Jack, Soldier’s Boy and, of course, Yankee Doodle.

All of the participating corps are members of The Company of Fifers & Drummers, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to perpetuating the traditions and historical significance of fife and drum music, as well as helping foster fellowship between corps.

Both Barnes and Deming noted that while fife and drum corps are rooted in military history, many exist now independent of any historical military contingent and not all can trace their histories as far back as the Kentish Guard or the Pawtuxet Rangers.

The rangers were charted by the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to protect the seaport village of Pawtuxet, an area that that is comprised of parts of Warwick and Cranston.  The Kentish Guards were formed to protect the Town of East Greenwich after a “Tory mob” attempt to sack and burn the coastal town.  It is the fifth oldest military organization in continuous service in the United States.

The Pawtuxet Rangers, whose service was not continuous although they were activated when needed, were known for a time in the 1800s as the Pawtuxet Artillery Company.  The unit was reactivated as the Pawtuxet Rangers in 1972 and still operates under their original charter of 1774.

Barnes said that the weekend muster will begin Friday night at Fort Adams with a “tattoo,” which is an informal concert featuring selected corps.  This year’s tattoo will have performances by the Argovia Rebels Fife 7 Drum Corps from Niederwil, Switzerland; the U.S. Army Old Guard from Washington, DC; the Plymouth Fife & Drum Corps from Plymouth, Michigan; and the Bristol County Fifes & Drums from Bristol, Rhode Island.

The muster resumes on Saturday when the corps will march into the Fort and then take turns performing their colonial selections.

“There will be something for everyone,” Barnes said.  “It will be fun for people who like history or music, and it’s also about fellowship.  It’s the 250th birthday for the Pawtuxet Rangers and the Kentish Guards – come help us celebrate.”

For more information on the event activities visit https://www.2024nationalmuster.com.