Martial Music for the Fife
by Donald G. Heminitz
I guess it was about ten years ago that I met Don Heminitz at a Civil War renactment somewhere. I gave him a few pointers and there has been no holding back. Here is Don's Bio to date:
Donald Heminitz began his fife and drum career in January 1999 as a Civil War re-enactor in eastern Pennsylvania. In June 2002, he attended the Eastern Field Music School (now the Don Hubbard Field Music School), at Fort Delaware and enjoyed it so much he returned for a third time in April 2004, when, during the final formation, he was awarded the "Most Improved Fifer" Award. Later that year, Donald was finally exposed to the "fife and drum world," when he met the members of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums and the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums (MCV) at the annual Grand Illumination celebration in Williamsburg. In August 2005, he attended his first muster at Fort Ticonderoga with the 3rd New Jersey Field Music, and in October he became the fife instructor for the B.S.A. Troop 53 Fife and Drum Corps (FDC) of Maytown, PA. His fife skills were tested by George Carroll in June 2006 and he received the title "Master Fifer." Less than a month later on July 4th, the 3rd NJ performed live at Times Square in New York City on Good Morning America. He then traveled later that year to Fort Myer, VA to attend the Juniors' Workshop, hosted by The Old Guard FDC. In January 2007, Donald published the first edition of this book, and one year later, he won first place in the national Baconworks Tune-smithing Contest with his original tune "Misty Morning," which is included in this book. In June 2008, he participated with the Colonial Musketeers Senior Ancient FDC in the New Jersey State Association Fife and Drum Contest and as an individual took first place as senior male fifer. In March 2009, he participated with Camp Chase Fifes and Drums in Chillicothe, Ohio in the recording of their fourth album, "Echoes From the Past," and in June, he was added to the faculty of the National Civil War Field Music School in Petersburg, VA. Donald began 2010 in early February by performing with MCV in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo held in Sydney, Australia.
Currently, Donald is a fifer with the Middlesex County Volunteers, the Colonial Musketeers Seniors, and the 3rd New Jersey Field Music. He also occasionally plays with Camp Chase Fifes and Drums, and was the fife instructor for B.S.A. Troop 53 / Venture Crew 53 FDC of Maytown, PA for almost five years.
Outside of re-enacting and fife and drum, Donald has recently graduated from Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with concentration on the flute. There he was a member of the flute choir, marching band, concert band, wind ensemble, and orchestra. Following graduation, he performed as a soloist for various events as well as with community bands near Lancaster, PA, until moving to northern Massachusetts in April of 2010., where he continues to explore the many musical opportunities in historical Boston.
In his spare time, whatever that is, Don has compiled a second edition of his Martial Music for the Fife, bigger and better than the first. For the corps. or field music looking for scores of traditional fife tunes in 2, 3 and even 4 part harmony, this is what is needed.
Contents are as follows:
Adam Bell's March 50
Baltimore Quickstep 3
Battle Cry of Freedom 4
Battle Hymn of the Republic 1
British Grenadiers 12
Brandywine 48
The Campbells are Coming 13
Chain Cotillion 5
Chester 53
Cotillion the Gesuit 52
Country Dance 37
Dancing in the Meadow 57
Downfall of Paris 16
Duke of Kent's Slow March 20
Dusky Night 8
The Dutch 2
Ed Kellogg's Quickstep 14
Eighteen-Twelve Quick Step 23
Evening Star 31
First of September 46
Flowers of Edinburgh 30
Frog in the Well 7
The Girl I Left Behind Me 26
Goober Peas 24
Green Cockade 10
Harem Scarem 36
The Harriott 6
Just Before the Battle, Mother 22
Kingdom Coming 9
Larry O'Brien 28
Logan Water 29
Love in a Village 33
Marching Through Georgia 15
Maryland, My Maryland 51
Mifflin Guard's March 49
Miss Baker's Hornpipe 32
The Minstrel Boy 19
Misty Morning 54
Moon and Seven Stars 43
Morelli's Lesson 39
The Music Box 61
My Wife's a Wanton Wee Thing 55
Norman Toy 38
None So Pretty 34
O'Sullivan's March 54
Pleasures of Spa 47
Poor Cato 11
The Races 40
The Rose Tree 25
The Royal Troubadours 59
Something, Anything, Whatever You Want 58
Stonewall Jackson's Way 27
Successful Campaign 21
To Anachreon in Heaven 41
Wearing of the Green 42
The Windward Reel 60
The World Turned Upside Down 35
Wrecker's Daughter 18
Yankee Doodle 2
York Fusiliers 44
You can have your own copy for the sum of $12.95 plus postage. To order click on the fife.
