The Corps was formed in 1976 by the County of York during the Bicentenial of the American Revolution and today has grown to a membership of almost 60 youngsters. To become a member, the boy or girl must be between the ages of 10 and 18. There are three levels of ability: Recruit, Junior and Senior. The goal of all members is to reach Senior status, to parade and wear the Regimental uniforms reminiscent of the 18th century musicians who served in the Continental Army here in Yorktown, Virginia. To reach this goal, each member, both fifers and drummers, must be able to read music, learn a minimum of 24 tunes, and march and perform in frequent public appearances. Corps members are taught by professional instructors and are provided the opportunity of attending annual musters of similar corps throughout the United States.

Members of the Fifes and Drums of York Town have recently performed at such pretigous venues as Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Institution, the Virginia Governor's Mansion and Virginia's General Assembly. As this year progresses we are preparing nearly 100 performances at locations across the eastern seaboard. Both Junior and Senior members are seen and heard weekly during the Spring, Summer and Fall in the restored Town of York.

The Corps is actively seeking new students from our community and we conduct two recruit classes annually. Members are selected (in order) from our first-come / first-served waiting list and membership is open to ANY young man or woman between the ages of 10 and 18. If you are excited by our American heritage and want to pursue excellence as part of our organization, the Fifes and Drums of York Town wants to hear from you! Please contact us at corps@fifes-and-drums.org.

As a Colonial Regimental unit, the Fifes and Drums of York Town recognizes the accomplishments of its members by awarding them rank. As beginning musicians, our members will participate in a recuit class that teaches them the fundamentals of marching and playing their chosen instrument.

After these recruits have gained skill and experience, they will be promoted to the Junior Corps where they will perform as uniformed members of the Corps at parades and other events. When Junior Corps members have demonstrated sufficient expertise in both music and drill, they are promoted to the rank of Corporal and become a member of the Senior Corps, earning the priviledge to wear the distinctive, regimental uniform.

Rank Requirements:

Click here to see the a chart of our rank structure and the requirements for promotion to each level.

Downloadable Music:

The Fifes and Drums of Yorktown has an extensive repertoire of field music. Click here to download, listen and play along with some of the music used by our Corps.

The Fifes and Drums of York Town draws its strength not only from the dedication of our musicians, but also from the hard work of many volunteers. The Corps' Officers, Board and Instructors are only a few of the individuals who invest their time and effort in the development of this organization.

Click here to see the slate of Officers and Instructors that contributed to the success of the 2007 performance season.

The Fifes and Drums of York Town is funded in part by the generous support of the York County Arts Commission, The Virginia Commission for the Arts and by individual donors who are interested in preserving our American heritage.