Fife and drum corps - Kokitai (English spelling)

A marching and ceremonial band consisting of fife and drum. It originated in Europe as an ensemble of fife (a small side-blown flute with one to six holes) and drums played by itinerant musicians in the Middle Ages. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it developed into military music for marches and signals (fife calls), especially for infantry corps, and later spread to civilians, mainly in America. During marches, the drum major leads the group with a baton, but today baton twirlers who show off their baton-twirling skills also join in, adding a touch of glamour to the marches.

It is said that it was first imported to Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, but it was actually introduced in 1864 (Genji 1) at the end of the Edo period as military training equipment along with Western military tactics, and was continued by the Imperial Army at the end of the Edo period. However, it was abolished in 1867 (Keio 3), and thereafter, military music was limited to brass bands.

Meanwhile, drum and fife corps for school education were adopted around 1935 (Showa 10) at the suggestion of Komori Sotaro and others. After World War II, they were revived in 1948 (Showa 23) as part of the Ministry of Education's (now the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) new musical education initiative called instrumental ensembles using simple instruments, and in 1986 the All Japan Drum and Fife Band Federation was formed. The current composition of a school drum and fife corps generally consists of one baton player, one bass drum, several players on medium and small drums, one cymbal player, one bell lyre, and many recorders.

[Akiko Kawaguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

笛と太鼓からなる行進用・儀礼用の音楽隊。ヨーロッパでは中世の遍歴楽師の間で行われていたファイフ（通常1～6孔の小型横吹きフルート）と太鼓の合奏に端を発し、15、16世紀には軍隊のなかでもとくに歩兵隊の軍楽として行進や合図（鼓笛信号fife call）用に発達し、のちにアメリカを中心に民間にも広まった。行進の際には鼓手長（ドラム・メジャー）が先頭で指揮杖（バトン）を持って指揮するが、今日ではバトン回しの妙技を見せるバトン・トワラーbaton twirlerも加わり、行進に花を添えている。

　日本に輸入されたのは安土(あづち)桃山時代ともいわれるが、実質的には江戸末期の1864年（元治1）以降、洋式兵法とともに軍隊調練用に伝習されたのが始まりで、幕末の官軍にも引き継がれた。しかし67年（慶応3）には廃止され、以後、軍楽は吹奏楽だけとなった。

　一方、学校教育用としての鼓笛隊は1935年（昭和10）ごろから小森宗太郎らの提唱で採用された。第二次世界大戦後は48年（昭和23）に簡易楽器の器楽合奏という文部省（現文部科学省）の新しい音楽教育の一端として復興し、61年には全日本鼓笛バンド連盟も結成された。現行の学校鼓笛隊の編成は、指揮杖1、大太鼓1、中・小太鼓数名、シンバル1、ベルリラ1、リコーダー多数からなるものが一般的である。

［川口明子］

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