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| Galgorm
Fife and Drum Club |
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| Galgorm
fife and drum club meets every Thursday night in Galgorm Orange Hall.
The drums, or lambegs as they are often called, are large drums
approximately 3’ in diameter, made from oak with goatskin heads.
They are held or carried around the neck, struck with canes in a strict
rhythm and they are LOUD! |
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The
music of the fife and drum has been traditional in Ireland for over two
hundred years. At that time, fifes were the popular instrument for
military commanders to signal commands to their troops. Drums were used
to strike a rhythm for long marches into battle. These requirements have
now been consigned to history, but in some countries, the tradition
lives on in re-enactments and parades. For many years, fifing was
considered to be in decline in Ireland, with the drums taking an
increasingly prominent rôle through competitions and lambeg
drumming clubs. Galgorm, however, never gave up the tradition of time
drumming, and the fife has always been an important part of that. At
Galgorm, we teach both fife and drum on Thursday evenings and anyone
with an interest is very welcome to come along and join in. |
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In the
past it would have been possible to tell where a drummer lived to within
a few miles simply by recognising the rhythm he played. Every area had
their own tune or 'time'. More recently tone has become much more
important to drummers than time, with many competition drummers unable
to play along with a fife. Time drumming has revived somewhat in recent
years and we are keen to nurture and promote that resurgence. |
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fife is a small shrill six-holed flute made from hard, close-grained
wood. The most popular wood used today in the Irish fife is boxwood.
American fifes are more likely to be rosewood or ebony. The fifer, when
playing along with the drum, usually plays a selection of jigs, reels
and hornpipes. Many ask, how can the fife be heard above perhaps three
drums? Well, a lone fifer can be heard from well over a mile away in
open countryside. |
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Want
to get in touch? Just click the mailbox to
Email Galgorm fifing and
drumming club |
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