The Middlesex County Volunteers is a non-profit fife and drum corps that plays music from the 17th, 18th,m and 19th centuries.
The Middlesex County Volunteers was founded in 1982 at the end of the United States Bicentennial celebration, the group is comprised of New England area musicians sixteen years old and older. The members wear the uniform prescribed by the United States Continental Army's clothing warrants of 1779. The Continental Army derived many of its practices from Europe, including the tradition of reversing the musicians' colors since the musicians were "signallers," and considered non-combatants. It was recommended that New England regiments should wear blue coats with white facings which are the lapels and cuffs with the trousers and waistcoats being white. This is the uniform that The Middlesex County Volunteers wear.
They have released several CD's, performed extensively throughout New England at historic sites, numerous times with John Williams, Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, at Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Illumination, and throughout the British Isles and Western Europe.
Their music was used in a 2003 film The Deserter about the American Revolution by New England filmmaker Eric B. Borgman. In 2005 they were featured at the Yshalle Tattoo in Basel, Switzerland and have performed at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2007. They were the first American Fife & Drum ensemble to appear at this event.
Categories: [Musical Groups]