Fife and Drum Museum

Published in The Corps of Drums Society Newsletter 'The Drummmers Call' 1997

by Major (Ret'd) Richard Powell

A burly, jolly family man, Alvin is descended from a family from the discipline, indeed his grandfather (who by all accounts is the first of three Alvin Mullans!) was a fifer and a veteran of the Indian Mutiny followed by both the Boer and First World Wars. When he died the fifes passed to 'our' Alvin, by then aged twelve, which if only by vintage offered a goodly beginning to his collecting.

When visiting Alvin the instruments are dragged out lovingly warmed and heartened by tunes that may never have previously crossed our ears. You hear of earlier owners, of 'Old Willie' teaching someone how to do this or that on a particular instrument and you are made very aware of the musical ability of say, the Ravenhill Flute band (whose emblem appears on at least one side drum). Flutes range from Crown AZ to fifes to orchestral flutes, and there are upwards of two hundred of them, some with keys and some without and these latter returning us to fifes which clearly were prepared from all manner of woods.

The tenor, bass and side drums are gathered, maintained and displayed to fortunate viewers in a garage (the variations of garage usage continue to amaze!). In this field, son William's singular knowledge and help are almost as valuable as those of his papa. These drums include a fascinating thin 'cheese' side drum with profiles fretted out in a successful effect to alter its tone ('skeleton' drum), drums from Irish bands reflecting which bands existed then, and Lambeg drums from what is most easily called the folk music world. To keep these all in good order, Alvin has a small but superbly organised workshop tooled specifically to role.

This is a truly remarkalbe collection, born of the dedication of one man but that looks as though it may well be augmented almost as a family concern. It is written of here in a way suggestive that it is freely available to others but sadly, this is not and cannot be the case when the collection is lapped by the bounds of a family home. What perhaps it stresses is the need for such a collection for drum and fite, mounted as a permanent exhibition. Fifes, drums and their descendants powered British troops (and those of other significant European nations) across the world. Earlier than that drums were central to army signally (as bugles became) and in time, their players were released from duty to take their music back to the communities whence they came. All of which reflects a durable and substanial contribution to Britain's music, meriting acknowledgement in collections of instruments, of published music and manuscripts and of information about the men and women who have made this music.

Alvin, perhaps, has begun.