Corps History

The American Originals Fife and Drum Corps was organized by John Bosworth in 1991. In its brief history, the Corps has become one of the most popular and sought after musical organizations in the Drum Corps world. his unique Fife and Drum Corps offers an extensive repertoire of traditional American song spanning from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War on into the music of the 20th Century. Selections from the Broadway stage, works of Morton Gould and Benny Goodman, as well as English, Scottish, and Irish airs enrich the musical experience. In true American fashion, the Corps preserves tradition while incorporating the innovations of modern Drum Corps literature.

From High School auditoriums to concert halls, at festivals of American Music, the Corps has performed for audiences of 100 and crowds of over 20,000 as well as television appearances including QVC TV with a viewing audience of 63 million people. The Corps has made trips to Switzerland as guests of the Vereinigte Kleinbasler (VKB) in the summers of 1994 and 1998.

The Corps is located in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area.

The Corps participated in 21 events in 1999. Our first performance of the year was at the Yankee Rebels Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps' Dixie Stinger in Parkville, Maryland. This is one of the most recognized Alumni Senior Drum and Bugle Corps indoor concerts in the country. We had the honor of performing at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC several times in 1999. In May, we performed for the International Standards Organization on the steps of the Capitol. The audience consisted of the heads of 70 countries of the ISO.

The 4th of July weekend was a very busy one for the Corps. At noon on the 4th, we performed at the National Bell Ringing Ceremony in Philadelphia, PA. Eight hours later, we were in Bristol, RI playing an outdoor concert at the Colt School. The next morning, we participated in the 214th Annual Fourth of July Parade in Bristol. Little did we know that it was a two and a half mile long parade (the last half mile uphill to the reviewing stand). The temperature topped 100 degrees that day. We were lucky to escape Bristol without any members in the hospital with heat exhaustion.

In August, we performed at the Gala Sports Luncheon at the Tyson Corner, VA Sheraton Premiere Hotel. The guest of honor for the event was Dan Snyder, the new owner of the Washington Redskins NFL team. We also performed for events at the Grand Hyatt and Willard Hotels in Washington, DC in 1999.

In October, the Corps performed an outdoor concert at the Rock Hall Fallfest on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We were then treated to a wonderful crab feast on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

The performing season concluded with a trip to Plymouth, MA for the America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. The Corps performed in four events over the three day weekend. On Friday evening, we participated in the Thanksgiving Gala Showcase with the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. We marched in the Majestic Parade Saturday morning and performed in the National Senior Drum and Bugle Corps Reunion Concert that evening. The weekend concluded with our performance in the First Annual Bagpipe Band Tattoo Sunday afternoon. We have already been asked (and accepted) to participate in these events in 2000 for the third consecutive year.  

The Corps participated in 13 events in 2000. Our first performance of the year was the North Beach Parade in North Beach, MD on 29 April. We next performed at the National Bell Ringing Ceremony in Philadelphia, PA on the 4th of July for the 31st Annual Let Freedom Ring festivities. After the performance, the bus took us to Little Italy for Philadelphia's finest cheese steaks.

In August, we performed at Northeast Airport in Philadelphia for Governor George W. Bush's arrival at the Republican National Convention. The Corps arrived at the airport at 4am, slept on the bus until 7am, and then went through Secret Service checks before performing at 9am. After the performance, the Corps members were treated to a snack aboard Governor Bush's airplane. We participated in the Reilly Raiders Shamrock Music Festival in Hatboro, PA on 19 August. The Reilly Raiders host an incredible Alumni Senior Drum and Bugle Corps indoor concert.

The Corps marched in the Kensington Labor Day Parade for the 4th time in five years. The Corps also performed (for the second consecutive year) at the Rock Hall Fallfest. We again enjoyed a crab feast on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

A highlight of the year was our performance at the 2000 PGA President's Cup Golf Tournament at the Robert Trent Jones Country Club in Manassas, VA. After the performance, the Corps posed for photos with President Bill Clinton and Governor James Gilmore of Virginia.

In November, the Corps performed at a Veteran's Day Memorial dedication in Chesapeake Beach, MD. We performed at the Amtrak station in Washington, DC for the inaugural voyage festivities of the Acela high speed train. This train will run between Washington, DC and Boston, MA at speeds of up to 150 mph.

The performing season concluded with a three day trip to Plymouth, MA for the America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. On Friday evening, we participated in the Thanksgiving Gala Showcase with performance acts from around the world. We marched in the Majestic Parade (never finding the alleged reviewing stand at the Plymouth Rock) Saturday morning. Because of the cold and windy weather, they had decided to move the reviewing indoors without telling us. We performed in the National Senior Drum and Bugle Reunion Concert that evening. On the bus ride home, we were treated to lunch at the Carnegie Deli in downtown Manhattan. Oh, what a meal!!

2001 was a very exciting and memorable year as the Corps participated in 15 events. The first event of the year was at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. in January. We performed for President George W. Bush at the Black Tie'N Boots Inaugural Ball. Two days later, we performed for the 15th Annual Awards Banquet of the B.F. Saul Company at the Holiday Inn Washington Dulles.

In March, we participated in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Washington, D.C. for the sixth time. This parade marked the first time that the fife line outnumbered the snare drum line as we had 12 fifes. Our intense fifer recruiting effort over the past couple of years has finally paid off. The fife line sounded great! On March 31st, we performed at the Yankee Rebels Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps' Dixie Stinger in Dundalk, MD. Earlier that same day, the Corps held their 5th Annual Spring Bazaar in Chesapeake Beach, VA. I would like to take this opportunity to thank JoAnn for organizing and running this fund raising effort again.

The Corps marched in the 4th of July parade in Bethany Beach, DE for the first time. After the parade, the local fire department served lunch to all parade participants. We then performed a concert at the bandstand on the boardwalk during the parade awards ceremony. On July 23rd, we performed an evening concert at the Washington Monument with the 257th Army Band (District of Columbia National Guard). The following weekend, we marched in the annual fireman's parade in Mifflinburg, PA. This is actually John Bosworth's old stomping grounds. After the parade, the Corps performed a stage show at the carnival grounds. After the performance, the Corps was treated to a buffet dinner at the Country Cupboard, a family-style restaurant and country store, in Lewisburg, PA.

The trip of the year occurred in August as the Corps travelled to Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada to participate in the Battle of Georgian Bay 2001. This was a 5 day re-enactment of a fictitious War of 1812 battle. The Corps did 11 performances ranging from parades, battlefield shows, mall shows, and tent performances during the event. I would like to thank the organizers and participants of this event for their hospitality - this was truly a memorable experience. In September, we led the "Light the Night" parade sponsored by the Leukimia Society in Reston, VA.

Without doubt, the evening of October 6th was a first for this Corps. We hosted our first Drum Corps show at High Point High School in Beltsville, MD. I would like to thank the members of the participating groups - The Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps, New York Skyliners Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps, City of Washington Pipe Band, Reilly Raiders Senior Drum & Bugle Corps, and Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps - for making this show a success (and a night to remember). The show was titled "A Salute to America", and was a musical tribute to Medal of Honor Recipients. This years's show is already being planned (see the Salute to America link).

We performed for the Medical Care for Children Partnership Awards Celebration, "Come Be A Child Again", at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, VA in October. In November, we performed at the dedication ceremony for the Chesapeake Beach Veterans Memorial Park. We had performed for the ground breaking ceremony for this memorial in 2000. Designed by a University of Maryland student, it is a beautiful park and a must see if you are ever in Chesapeake Beach. The Corps was once again in Chesapeake Beach on the 24th of November, as we held our 10th Annual Christmas Bazaar at the Rod'N Reel Club.

In December, the Corps marched in the Christmas Parade in Waldorf, MD. The last event of the year was the Corp's annual Holiday Party, held in Reston, VA. 2001 was indeed a truly memorable year!!

To preserve the sounds of our historical past while incorporating military precision, techniques and execution in order to provide a well rounded presentation of musical excellence.