An interesting piece here is the U.S. Marine Corps fife and drum band playing "Stars and Stripes Forever". It was recorded in 1901, and gives us a glimpse at field music in a time only 36 years after the close of the Civil War. Several good items can be taken from this: hearing how both the music sounded- both drums and fifes, and how officers gave orders. In modern army commands, the orders have de-evolved into unintelligable grunts (whatever caused this this is beyond me, and the scope of this site, but I hear the old army diet of gunpowder and spent shell casings may had somthing to do with it) and many reenactor officers deliver orders in just such a way. This recording establishes the fact that the United States Armed Forces at one point in history, actually pronounced its "m's" , and by extrapolation, its "f's", "a's", and several other letters.



Listen through the swirling void of time all the way to the year 1901 and hear the United States Marine Corps performing "The Stars and Stripes Forever". (By the by- It gets cut off at the end. There's nothing I can do about it- it's how I got it)

U.S. Marine Fife & Drum Corps - The Star and Stripes Forever March, recorded in 1901
(2.6 Megs)