St. Anselm's Drum by Pop Classey, Teacher of Gus Moeller

Unconfirmed information from George Kubicek (who calls this a "Larchmont Drum" to the effect that this drum is in California, and was made by Ed "Pop" Classey of Mt. Vernon, New York. Drum corps folklore is that Ed Classey taught Gus Moeller how to make drums.

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For the sound of St. Anselm's in 1955 (posted by George Carteris according to Bob Castillo, http://www.bobcastillo.org/) see http://youtu.be/zVJF3BqPxec and http://youtu.be/Pap3dQXSeqM (excellent stuff).

Uploaded by BronxFifer on Oct 7, 2009
This is St. Anselm's Drum Corps from the Bronx, NY playing "Old Comrades" and "Nulli Secundus" (Second to None) on bugle. The tape recording was made in the school gym sometime in 1955. The pictures are from the Company of Fifers & Drummers archives. Mostly they are photos from the late 1930's through 1941. The location or scene in many of the photos is Tinton Avenue in the South East Bronx. The drum corps existed from 1912 to about 1963.

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1955 This recording is of St. Anselm's Drum Corps from the Bronx, NY. from the original reel-to-reel tape. George was told the tape recording was made in the school gym. Pierce Gardener gave George the tape in 1994 and he had it transferred to a cassette tape. This recording is of the fife line playing "2nd Connecticut" and "Pride of the Bronx".

1955 St. Anselm's Drum Corps from the Bronx, NY


1955 This is a SECOND recording is of St. Anselm's Drum Corps from the Bronx, NY. from the original reel-to-reel tape. George was told the tape recording was made in the school gym. Pierce Gardener gave George the tape in 1994 and he had it transferred to a cassette tape. This recording is of the fife line playing "Old Comrads"

1955 St. Anselm's Drum Corps from the Bronx, NY Video #2

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In the late 1950s a new model fife, designed by renowned fifer John McDonagh was manufactured in Germany. This model was used by the three corp's affiliated with John McDonagh. The New York Regimentals, St. Benedict's and St. Anselm's; all located in the Bronx, New York. These fifes were not otherwise available to the public. A short time later a second generation McDonagh Model evolved and made by Roy Seaman, and quickly came into popularity. These fifes were mass produced for sale to the entire fife and drum community. They were two-piece instruments with a dual conical bore - the foot joint tapered down from the joint to about an inch before terminus, where the bore cone reversed itself and opened up again slightly. They used the popular flute and piccolo designs of the 1830s, where "cone" flutes were the rage and most common. The cone flutes had fallen out of favor to the cylindrical flutes designed by Boehm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fife_(instrument)