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Veteran composer Jason Baker has a passion for 18th and 19th century American fife and drum music that is well represented in Old Tyme Muster. Inspired by medleys of tunes that are often performed by fife and drum corps at annual “muster” gatherings throughout the summer, this fun and historically significant collection is scored for snare drum soloist and mallet quintet. The three pieces contained within are creative combinations of tunes that date all the way back to the 1800s. Ironically, the snare drum writing is not soloistic in nature, acting almost exclusively as accompaniment to the keyboard percussion.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing. It also includes optional solo audio accompaniment tracks (minus snare drum) allowing the snare drummer to perform the pieces without mallet players. This makes for a great option for recitals, juries, lessons, or even as a morning warm-up!
Many of us originally learned pieces such as “The Downfall of Paris,” “Hell on the Wabash,” and “Three Camps” as snare drum solos. I personally knew the snare parts to all three pieces long before discovering that there was a complementary fife part! In fact, the fife completes the picture, allowing the snare drummer to phrase in a more musical fashion. This piece skillfully adapts the fife parts to mallet percussion ensemble. Each movement is in itself a medley of popular fife and drum standards.
The first movement, “Downfall on the Wabash,” is a combination of “The Downfall of Paris” and “Hell on the Wabash.” Baker has the xylophone state the melody as the ensemble harmonizes in a very rhythmic fashion. He is careful to stay true to the traditional sound and feel. The snare drum part is well written, respecting the traditional rhythms, rudiments, and stickings. Since this style is repetitive by nature, the added dynamics will surely capture the attention of listeners.
The second movement, “Camps of Kildare,” is a lively jig in 12/8. It begins as a duet between snare drum and vibraphone, adding mallet instruments in layers at the beginning of each new phrase. The melody then transitions to two 19th century Irish jigs, “Rakes of Kildare” and “Swallow’s Tail Jig.”
The third movement, “Poor Larry Downshire,” returns to the 2/4 time feel of the first movement. The medley incorporates the melodies of “Poor Cato,” “Larry O’Brien,” and “Downshire.” The full ensemble provides a driving, energetic feel right from the downbeat. The Marimba II player then states the melody, utilizing the lower range of the instrument. The arrangement here is busier than the previous movements. However, Baker tastefully respects the style and tradition without overdoing it.
Since the mallet parts were adapted from fife literature, they mainly consist of moving melodic and harmonic lines, with few double stops. Therefore, all mallet parts areplayable with two mallets.
The accompanying CD contains reference recordings as well as PDFs of the individual parts. Also included are mp3s minus snare drum, making it useful for recitals or just everyday practice. This is a fun piece that will introduce the audience (and possibly the performers) to fife and drum literature.
–Tom Morgan
Percussive Notes
Vol. 54, No. 2, May 2016
Veteran composer Jason Baker has a passion for 18th and 19th century American fife and drum music that is well represented in Old Tyme Muster. Inspired by medleys of tunes that are often performed by fife and drum corps at annual “muster” gatherings throughout the summer, this fun and historically significant collection is scored for snare drum soloist and mallet quintet. The three pieces contained within are creative combinations of tunes that date all the way back to the 1800s. Ironically, the snare drum writing is not soloistic in nature, acting almost exclusively as accompaniment to the keyboard percussion.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing. It also includes optional solo audio accompaniment tracks (minus snare drum) allowing the snare drummer to perform the pieces without mallet players. This makes for a great option for recitals, juries, lessons, or even as a morning warm-up!
Many of us originally learned pieces such as “The Downfall of Paris,” “Hell on the Wabash,” and “Three Camps” as snare drum solos. I personally knew the snare parts to all three pieces long before discovering that there was a complementary fife part! In fact, the fife completes the picture, allowing the snare drummer to phrase in a more musical fashion. This piece skillfully adapts the fife parts to mallet percussion ensemble. Each movement is in itself a medley of popular fife and drum standards.
The first movement, “Downfall on the Wabash,” is a combination of “The Downfall of Paris” and “Hell on the Wabash.” Baker has the xylophone state the melody as the ensemble harmonizes in a very rhythmic fashion. He is careful to stay true to the traditional sound and feel. The snare drum part is well written, respecting the traditional rhythms, rudiments, and stickings. Since this style is repetitive by nature, the added dynamics will surely capture the attention of listeners.
The second movement, “Camps of Kildare,” is a lively jig in 12/8. It begins as a duet between snare drum and vibraphone, adding mallet instruments in layers at the beginning of each new phrase. The melody then transitions to two 19th century Irish jigs, “Rakes of Kildare” and “Swallow’s Tail Jig.”
The third movement, “Poor Larry Downshire,” returns to the 2/4 time feel of the first movement. The medley incorporates the melodies of “Poor Cato,” “Larry O’Brien,” and “Downshire.” The full ensemble provides a driving, energetic feel right from the downbeat. The Marimba II player then states the melody, utilizing the lower range of the instrument. The arrangement here is busier than the previous movements. However, Baker tastefully respects the style and tradition without overdoing it.
Since the mallet parts were adapted from fife literature, they mainly consist of moving melodic and harmonic lines, with few double stops. Therefore, all mallet parts areplayable with two mallets.
The accompanying CD contains reference recordings as well as PDFs of the individual parts. Also included are mp3s minus snare drum, making it useful for recitals or just everyday practice. This is a fun piece that will introduce the audience (and possibly the performers) to fife and drum literature.
–Tom Morgan
Percussive Notes
Vol. 54, No. 2, May 2016
