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The Towpath Volunteers have been bringing Our American Heritage to Life for over 40 years. From the humble beginning
with a few kids playing only three simple songs and never having practiced a corner before our first parade, the Naples
Fireman's Parade in 1978, to becoming one of the Largest, World Traveling, Family Oriented Fife and Drum Corps in the
country. In the year 2000, the group adopted the philosophy of fifing and drumming excellence. Within a couple of years,
the evidence of our hard work started paying off with the invitation to march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
The group has continued to grow while keeping it affordable for whole families to march together.
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The Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps took part in Honor Flight Mission 85 Welcome Home to honor the brave men and woman who servered our country. The welcome took place at the Rochester International Airport on September 15th. This was Towpath's first Honor Flight Welcome Home performance and it was a great honor to be asked to be a part of it. Without a doubt, the Volunteers look forward to future Honor Flight performances!
The Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps are no strangers to the people of Upstate NY. Every summer we bring dynamic performances to local parades and festivals, and indeed, have even been found performing in venues like NYC, Disney World and parts of Europe. But this summer was special. Towpath had been asked to help commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon: the WWII mission to liberate the people of southern France from Nazi occupation. And so it was that some 50 members found themselves on the shores of the French Riviera being welcomed by our sister corps from St. Tropez. Their hospitality was incredible. We found ourselves exploring castles and thousand year old churches, horseback riding through burgeoning vineyards and taking cruises alongside $80 million dollar yachts. And of course, the food! Many times we found ourselves before buffet tables overflowing with delicacies, only to discover that this was merely the appetizer to the main course! Bouillabaisse, Tarte Tropezienne…our French vocabulary was rapidly expanding (as were our waistlines!) Then it was time to get to the “meat” of the matter: The liberation of France. We toured museums dedicated to the French Resistance. We gathered with members of the French and American military, active members of units that participated in the liberation of Europe some 8 decades ago. And of course, we did what we do best, bringing joy and fellowship through the music of the fife and drum. We marched and played down the glitzy, historic streets of local towns, stopping before monuments to the fallen. And as we did so, it rapidly became clear that we were not mere tourists on a sight-seeing vacation; we were commemorating an unforgettable moment for both our countries: Marching down narrow alleys packed with people, I caught a glimpse of a man carrying his girl upon his shoulders. He waved the Stars and Stripes, she waved the Tricorne. Watching them smiling and swaying to our music, I felt a lump in my throat and couldn’t play a note for half a block. I laughed and danced with a French woman as a band serenaded us with music from The Andrews Sisters. She had the most wonderful smile, and she said she felt young again. At that moment, it truly could have been 1944. A grizzled paratrooper kissed my cheeks and thanked me for freeing his country as if it happened last week instead of 80 years ago. We toasted each other and looked over the sea where fellow paratroopers had drifted down, never to be seen again. And perhaps the most poignant moment of all, the lowering of our nation’s flag in a cemetery set aside for American troops: dead, missing, but not forgotten. Then we gathered with our French hosts for good food, laughter and a jam session that lasted well into the night. It is exactly how those dead soldiers would have wanted to be remembered. How I would want to be remembered. We all understood. The wondrous freedoms we now enjoy, paid for by the incredible sacrifices of people we never met but dearly loved. And since we couldn’t embrace them, we embraced one another. Viva la Liberte. Vive L’amitie. Chris Blomgren is a rookie member of The Towpath Volunteers, a family-oriented performance group in Macedon, NY. Membership is free and open to all ages. New participants are welcomed and trained year round.
The Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps of Macedon, NY has been invited to participate in Saint Tropez's 80th anniversary commemoration of it's liberation on August 15th, 2024. The invitation, dated January 29th, 2024 is from the Mayor of Saint Tropez, Sylvie SIRI. The town was liberated through the combined efforts of the 3rd Infantry Division's 15th Infantry Regiment and elements of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion which landed in the vicinity of the village in the early hours of August 15th, 1944 during World War II. Saint Tropez has been conducting the commemoration annually since the end of the war, except for three COVID years 2020 to 2022. This year, Saint Tropez has also invited elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and it is hoped that Towpath's partiicipation could complement and enhance the American presence at the ceremonies. While details are still in the works, the Volunteers will participate in several parades and ceremonies in and around Saint Tropez. Saint Tropez has also invited many Diplomats and Dignitaries from France and the United States to attend. We will update this web page as new information becomes available. | |
The Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps of Macedon, NY has completed it's first music CD that will be available in a few weeks! The CD has been in the works for several years and contains 26 of the group's favorite songs; from the Revolutionary War, through the Civil War and today! Many of the songs will be familiar to the listener, such as Yankee Doodle, The Battle Hymn of the Republic and When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Other songs such as Grandfather's Clock, Mocking Bird and Old Dan Tucker may stir childhood memories. Some of the tunes have a Towpath Volunteer twist to them. For more information on and how to obtain your copy, please click on the CD Button above or go to http://towpathvolunteers.org/CD.html |
2023 will be an exciting year for the Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps. While the 2023 Marching Schedule is still being completed, plans for hosting the World Fife and Drum Friendship Festival are just about completed! The Volunteers will be joined by fife and drum groups from Belgium, France and Italy for this year's rendition. The World Fife and Drum Friendship Festival was started by Towpath in 2015 with the inaugural celebration hosted by the Volunteers. In 2017 the festival moved to Ghent, Belgium and for 2019, Ivrea Italy hosted the event. Plans were for Switzerland to host it in 2021 but the Covid-19 pandemic caused its cancelation. Not only is the Festival Performance Schedule in the works, the corps has also been fund raising to offset the cost of the festival. The Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps is a 100% volunteer, Not-for-profit self-funding organization, it is a 501C3 Charitable Organization that makes any contribution to the group tax deductible. The Lyons National Bank Fairport and Macedon gave a joint contribution to the Volunteers to kick off the fundraising. LNB Assistant Vice President Daniela Qualdieri presents donation check to Paul Willson of the Towpath Volunteers. For more information on the World Fife and Drum Friendship Festival, please click on the Festival option in the menu button or visit us on Facebook at "World Fife and Drum Friendship Festival" or "World Fife and Drum Festival" on Instagram.
It is with great sadness that the Towpath Voulnteers Fife and Drum Corps announces the passing of Bass Drummer Bill Guchone. Bill has been with the corps for over twenty years, the early years as a Militia member and the last several years playing the Bass Drum. It was with great pride that Bill had the chance to have his Snare Drummer son William, and two of his grandchildren march with him in the Macedon Memorial Day Parade. Three generations of Guchones for the first time and hopefully not the last. Out thoughts and prayers go out to Bill's wife Rosemary, his son William and Hanna, and the rest of the Guchone Family.
The invitation to perform at the European Fife and Drum Festival held in Saint-Tropez, France in September of 2011, was perhaps the greatest single event the corps has ever undertaken. With the Towpath Volunteers in attendance, the festival was able to call itself a World Fife and Drum Festival, and Towpath enjoyed the "Royal Treatment". Before the Volunteers had even left Saint-Tropez, discussion had already begun on bringing the European groups to our home town of Macedon, New York.
The trip to Saint-Tropez opened many doors, to new adventures and friendships. After a trip to Ivrea, Italy in March of 2014 at the Historic Carnivale, the Towpath Volunteers were honored to host corps from Italy, Belgium and France, in September of 2015 to join us in the 1st World Fife and Drum Festival. The World Fife and Drum Festival continued in 2017 in Belgium and 2019 in Italy. Switzerland will be the home to the festival in 2021. The Towpath Volunteers prides itself in a having a family oriented all-inclusive organization. Membership: Members come in all ages and all shapes and sizes. Families march together. One does not need to be from Macedon to be part of this group. Members come from throughout Wayne and surrounding counties. No musical or marching experience is required. There is something for everyone! Learn the Fife or Drum, march in the Color Guard, Militia or with the banner. Practices: Weekly practices are held in the cafeteria of the Pal-Mac Intermediate School each Wednesday from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM. During the summer months practices are held at the pavilion at Canal Park (Lock 30) in Macedon. Lessons are provided by experienced instructors. Local Parades: The Towpath Volunteers march throughout Wayne and surrounding counties performing at local Firemen’s parades and community festivals. Generally, the parade season starts with St. Patrick’s Day and continues through September. Community Service: Part of what makes the corps special is the involvement in the community. The corps can be seen at nursing homes, scouting events and other local events. Honoring our Veterans: The Military Medley is played whenever possible to honor our veterans. Sharing our History: Fifing and Drumming is part of our American heritage. The fifes and drums are representative of those used during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. The music and uniforms also represent periods in our history. Affordable: There is no membership fee to join. All lessons are provided by the corps. Uniforms and other equipment are provided. The only cost to an individual would be the purchase of a beginner fife ($7.00). A member would also need to purchase their own socks and shoes. Honoring our Country: Towpath is proud to display a full Color Guard by carrying the 50 Star Flag, New York State Flag and the Betsy Ross Flag. The corps had the honor to play at the White House and for President Ronald Reagan. Other Travel: The corps has also travelled to Disney World Florida, the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates in Tampa, and the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Other events over the years include fife and drum musters throughout New England. Volunteer: This group is 100% volunteers. All instructors and leaders volunteer to make this group successful. The Towpath Volunteers Senior corps is a family organization open to anyone interested in preserving Our American Heritage. With musical and non musical sections in the corps, a knowledge of music is not required. Lessons and equipment are provided and there is no cost to join. The group does not have an age limit but to march with a fife or a drum with the Corps, the individual is required to have a number of songs memorized and show they can march with the group. The areas available are the Militia, Camp Followers, Color Guard, Fifes and Snare or Bass Drums. The group practices weekly, year round, from 6:30 - 8:00 P.M. Wednesday evenings in the village of Macedon, NY. Please direct any question on joining or hiring the Towpath Volunteers to: TowpathVolunteers@TowpathVolunteers.org. |
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Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps Inc.
PO Box 31 Macedon, New York 14502 * email:TowpathVolunteers@TowpathVolunteers.org ©Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps Inc. 2022 |