The deep-voiced drums roll and thunder; the wooden fifes squeal. The Spirit of '76 springs to life. Yankee Doodle is on the march again in Baltimore, after a 30-year absence.
They're called the Eastern Colonials Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, a group of veterans who gave up the music three decades ago and newcomers who hope to revive what was once a patriotic Baltimore tradition.
After months of practicing in Baltimore's Carroll Park, they will be host to corps from New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and elsewhere in Maryland at a muster Jan. 10 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Leo's Hall in East Baltimore.
The tunes of glory will be on parade: "Garry Owen," "Bonnie Dundee," "The Girl I Left Behind Me," "The World Turned Upside Down," "The British Grenadiers," "Scotland the Brave," "Dixie" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
"We're looking for everyone to come," said Gus Malstrom, 67, the veteran fifer who undertook the revival of a fife and drum corps in Baltimore last spring.
In 1952, Mr. Malstrom, Mel Doxzen and Joe Carter were boys and young men when they joined the late Charles J. "Buck" Soistman of Middle River -- then the country's premier ancient drum maker -- to form the Monumental City Ancient Fife and Drum Corps.
For nearly 10 years, their black tricorn hats were a familiar sight as they marched in parades and performed in patriotic pageants, always at the stately 18th century pace that distinguishes them from rapid, high-stepping modern bands.
Monumental City drifted apart in the early '60s, fading into fond memory until Mr. Malstrom decided to call some of the guys last spring to see if they were interested in a revival.
Indeed they were, and so were born the Eastern Colonials, with seven fifers and five drummers -- when they all show up. Members come from Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as Maryland, and recruits -- men and women, boys and girls -- are welcome.
"We are looking for people. We know there are people out there who play but don't know about us," said Charles Terzi, 45, a banker who hadn't touched a drum for 30 years until this summer.
Mr. Terzi's story is typical. He started drumming at age 7 and followed the traditional route through parochial school fifes and drums to a drum and bugle corps. In those days, many parochial schools had their own corps. But by the time he was through school and working, there was no one left to play with.
