by SFC Jennifer Bailey
Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps Public Affairs

The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps recently traveled to Norfolk, VA to participate in the Virginia International Tattoo. This Tattoo, held at the Norfolk Scope Arena from April 20th – 22nd as a part of the Virginia Arts Festival, is the largest event of its kind in the United States. It has grown from 9 performing units in 1997, its inaugural year, to 34 units this year, involving a total of more than 850 performers. The Corps took its 33-person arena show to the Tattoo, and performed each night to a sold-out house.

As well as performing as an individual unit, the Corps was part of the Tattoo opening and Finale, which allowed the Fife and Drum Corps the chance to work in tandem with the other ensembles present. The Corps played a central role in the Tattoo’s opening sequence. In fact, the Tattoo opened with a single Old Guard drummer, SFC Mark Reilly, at the center of the floor. The Corps’ buglers played the fanfare that followed the National Anthem and signaled the beginning of each performance.

The Corps’ impact radiated far beyond the walls of the Scope Arena, due in large part to the many outreach activities in which the Corps participated during their stay in Norfolk. Several of those outreach opportunities took on an educational aspect, as they were directed toward public school students in the Hampton Roads area. The Tattoo cast displayed their talents in two special performances for local students. In the words of Tattoo director J. Scott Jackson, those performances resulted in “thousands of young lives…touched and thousands of young imaginations…stretched” by the impact of that experience.

The Fife and Drum Corps also shared their skills with area students in a more personalized setting as they presented their small team show at Tucker-Capps Elementary in Hampton and Meadowbrook Middle School in Norfolk, then followed up the performances with question and answer sessions.

Besides the educational and performance opportunities presented by the Virginia International Tattoo, the event, which hosted ensembles from seven nations, also included an unofficial diplomatic element. As stated by Ms. Adrienne Combs, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the Military District of Washington, the Tattoo provided and opportunity for Corps members “to interact with other military units, showcasing their rich history, and sharing and exchanging ideas with other units from around the world.”

Most notable among those interactions was the relationship struck between the Corps and the Traditional Army Band of the Republic of Korea. Perhaps attracted to each other because of the unique drumming styles central to each group’s art the Corps and the Traditional Army Band developed a supportive, friendly rapport during the Traditional Army Band’s first appearance in the United States.

Upcoming performances scheduled for The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps this year include Twilight Tattoo and Spirit of America.