Fall is beloved by many for the fire reds and pumpkin oranges that take over our trees before the onslaught of winter. It is also the time that many fifers and drummers are preparing for their final weekend beneath the stars, cranking out tunes next to a warm fire in an old corn field in Sudbury, Massachusetts. On the grounds of the historic Wayside Inn fifers and drummers gather for the annual Sudbury Colonial Faire and Fife and Drum Muster.

The parade, on Saturday, is strikingly short, which bodes well for those that may have been over-served during the Friday evening festivities. Here are a few shots of the imbibers taken five or six years ago during that parade.

 


 

 

 

 
Naturally, the Mariners always find a way to enjoy themselves at this bucolic muster and it has become the favorite for many. What I did not know until recently, however, is the role the Mariners had in its inception.

So, let me begin a story for you.

The picture below is of Russ Kirby, who, for decades, was most recognizable as the emcee at the Sudbury Muster. As you can see he is holding a fife.
 

 
The fife he is holding is one that he made and, as it turns out, he has made quite a number of fifes, including these beauties, which are made from some old timbers that were once a part of the Wayside Inn.
 

 
How did he get timbers from the Inn you might ask? Well, in December of 1955 there was a great fire at the Inn that destroyed the entire North and West wings of the building.
 

 
Consequently, there were lots of old timbers that had been removed and put into storage on the property of the Wayside Inn. The old charred timbers sat for many years until Russ, a novice instrument maker, came along and asked if he could use some of the wood to make some fifes. Most of it he found unusable due to massive damage from moisture and insects. But, he was able to salvage a few pieces and build the set pictured above.

Not long after, the Sudbury Fife and Drum Corps found themselves at the Deep River Muster playing the ‘Redhorse Fifes’ that Russ had made. What happened next is a wrinkle in Mariner history that surprised me. Listen to the audio file below as Russ, in his own words, conveys what happened next.

 

 Birth of Sudbury Muster [1:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download