Lesson plan
Fifer
fifer in 1801 Fifers are military personnel whose specialism is playing the fife. The occupation emerged during the early modern era, when contemporary military tactics called for the usage of martial music to function as signals to indicate changes in formation. Fifers of the period, who were often the sons of non-commissioned officers also served as member of military bands during marches. Often boys or teenagers too young to fight in regular combat roles, fifers were used to help infantry units to keep a march pace from the right of their formation in coordination with drummers positioned at the centre, and they relayed orders in the form of sequences of musical signals. The fife was particularly useful because of its high pitched sound, which could be heard over the sounds of battle. Fifers were present in numerous wars of note, as European and American armies of the 18th and 19th centuries "depended on company fifers and drummers for communicating orders during battle, regulating camp formations and duties, and providing music for marching, ceremonies, and moral." The usual allocation of fifers in a battalion during the early modern period varied from five to eight. Fife and drum corps, in particular those in high-ranking units such as foot guards had as many as 32 (in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment) or more fifers.…
Article summary
fifer in 1801 Fifers are military personnel whose specialism is playing the fife. The occupation emerged during the early modern era, when contemporary military tactics called for the usage of martial music to function as signals to indicate changes in formation. Fifers of the period, who were often the sons of non-commissioned officers also served as member of military bands during marches. Often boys or teenagers too young to fight in regular combat roles, fifers were used to help infantry units to keep a march pace from the right of their formation in coordination with drummers positioned at the centre, and they relayed orders in the form of sequences of musical signals. The fife was particularly useful because of its high pitched sound, which could be heard over the sounds of battle. Fifers were present in numerous wars of note, as European and American armies of the 18th and 19th centuries "depended on company fifers and drummers for communicating orders during battle, regulating camp formations and duties, and providing music for marching, ceremonies, and moral." The usual allocation of fifers in a battalion during the early modern period varied from five to eight. Fife and drum corps, in particular those in high-ranking units such as foot guards had as many as 32 (in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment) or more fifers.…
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.