Yankee Doodle ("The Lexington March", American, late 18th Century) - Fife & Drum

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, as well as the 251st anniversary of the creation of the US army. What could be better suited to mark that than a tune that is about as old, actually, probably even a bit older? The Yankee Doodle, here in a version called "The Lexington March" from a British broadside publication printed somewhere between 1782 and 1794 in London, was often sung by British soldiers with texts that mocked the American forces and their "unbrushed" manners. However, the tune became equally popular in the US forces, and was played already back then on fifes and drums, a tradition that has carried on. The tune exists in many versions. In this arrangement, I have taken the broadside's melody and enriched it with lower fife parts as well as drum parts that mean to express the certain qualities of this version. The image shows the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, one of the earliest victories for the American side, and one of the most well-known. The painting was made in 1910 by the British history painter William Barnes Wollen. Enjoy! Arrangement & Recording © Copyright JGBaroque 2026