The musicians will form and beat the Singlings of the Troop to assemble the men.

The corps forms on the Grand Parade (this is the area at the head of the combined regimental camps) at the Main Guard tent. Bland explains that these musicians: “are all to parade at the Head of the Main-Guard, half an Hour before the Time of beating; and when the Hour appointed is come, the Drum-Major is to form them into Ranks, and placing himself at the Head of them, orders them to beat the Assembly, which they are to do quite round the Grand-Parade, and back to the Main-Guard; after which the Drummers, who mount, separate, and march to their Regimental Parade, beating the Assembly the whole Way; but the Drum-Major, with the others who don’t mount, beat back to the Grand-Parade, where they are to remain ‘till the Guards are marched off.” Bland (155)

SOLDIER’S RESPONSE

While the Assembly beats, those detailed for the Guard assemble on their company streets before the Captains. The Sergeant and Captain inspect them for duty. Then the orderly Corporal marches them to the Regimental Parade, where the Adjutant inspects them again to ensure that each company furnished the correct number of men (System of Camp Discipline 1; Bland 154). The drummers return to their regiments and arrive on the Regimental Parade. Most likely, the Adjutant counts them once they’ve arrived.

 Note: While written in 3/4, this should be performed as if in 3/8. In other words, each measure is one beat or one step.

This drum beating accompanies “The High Troop” (Rutherfoord 8), later called “Troop or Assembling” in Thompson, Bennett, Longman & Broderip, and some others. 

While military manuals tend to use the phrase “Troop, or Assembly”, Ashworth is more specific: “Singlings of the Troop, or Assembly”.

• The Young Drummer’s Assistant (YDA), a published British military drum manual from 1780.
• Drum Beatings, a handwritten manuscript with British military drum beatings circa 1770-1790.
• Benjamin Clark’s drum beatings, an American handwritten manuscript circa 1790.
• Issac Day’s drum beatings, an American handwritten manuscript circa 1790.
• The Drummer’s Book of Music, an American handwritten manuscript circa 1770-1790, usually ascribed to Levi Lovering or Gardner
• Various Fife tutors and manuscripts, both American and British, dating from 1754-1800.
• John Buttrey’s Fife collection, a British handwritten manuscript of hundreds of fife tunes and duty music circa 1797 to 1814

One must necessarily also be interested in various period British and American military resources. This includes drill manuals and regulations, treatises and military dictionaries, and memoirs, general orders, orderly books, etc. These provide important insight on how fifers and drummers were used.