This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/18/2018 03:20 PMHow else would a fife and drum corps celebrate an important anniversary, if not a muster?
The Chester Fife & Drum Corps will commemorate its 150-year anniversary celebration by hosting a historic muster at the Chester Fair Grounds on Saturday, The muster, open to the public, will feature 20 other corps from across New England on Saturday, Sept. 22.
“This is a big deal, a once in a lifetime event,” said Frenchy Cordeau, the major and business manager of the corps.
Cordeau has been a member for the past 38 years and plays the snare drum, the bass drum, and the fife. This hobby is a family affair, as Cordeau’s wife is the fife sergeant and treasurer of the corps and his daughter plays the bass drum.
“Being part of the corps is a wonderful experience. We have a lot of fun and we are helping to preserve history,” said Cordeau.
The 35-member corps has members ranging in age from 8 to 88.
The muster will step off at 12:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds. There will be a short parade, followed by each participating corps playing feature pieces for about 10 to 15 minutes on the field, and finally an open jam session for the remainder of the day. Food and other goods will be available from vendors on site and Damon Scott of radio station Country 92.5 will emcee the event.
“It’s going to be a great time,” said Cordeau, who explained that there are only two other corps he knows of that are 150 years old or older—the Mattatuck Drum Band in Waterbury and the Moodus Drum & Fife Corps, in East Haddam.
The Chester Fife & Drum Corps only holds a muster to celebrate a 25 year anniversary, so its next muster won’t be until 2043.
“There are so many musters around here, the Deep River Muster, the Westbrook Muster, and so many others that we only host a muster when there is something this big to celebrate,” said Cordeau. “We are very excited about our muster this year and we can’t wait to catch up with old friends, play some great music together, and celebrate why we all do this.”
The Chester Fife & Drum Corps is always looking to welcome new members. It meets on Thursday evenings, at the North Quarter Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m. In the winter, it meets in the Chester Elementary School. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/chesterfifeanddrumcorps.