In the Beginning - A Look Through the Vent Hole of Frank Fancher's Competition Field Drum
by Matt Alling
CT Pro Percussion
There is always a starting point for every project or idea, that one
thing that sets the ball in motion and
eventually leads to that idea becoming a reality and then growing from there. For the Company of Fifers & Drummers Museum,
this drum is that piece. In my opinion, this is the most important drum in the
museum because it was the drum that got the ball rolling. In 1976, this was the first artifact purchased
by the Company. The photograph in the
museum’s archives taped to a piece of paper says only “How it all began” but it
speaks volumes. It was this drum that
eventually lead to the opening of the museum a decade later.
This
is a 16" x 16" drum with natural maple shell and hoops. The drum has an ivory vent hole grommet
surrounded by a star tack design with 17 tacks in it. There are 8 tack diamonds on the top and
bottom of the star with half diamonds to either side connecting them to the
flanking rows of tacks, each containing 13 tacks. The rope is hemp and there are 10 rectangular,
riveted leather ears held on by hooks. The
top and bottom heads are calf with gut snares. There is a badge on the hoops the reads
"Odell M. Chapman, the builder of quality drums, Willimantic, Conn,
U.S.A." The badge on the inside
indicates that it is Drum #625 and was built in 1918.
This
drum is one of many that, after just a quick glance. have surprised me because
of the lack of information known about the drum. In the museum's master list of information,
this drum is listed simply as an Odell Chapman drum. Looking through the drum’s vent hole I was astounded
by the information displayed inside the shell. In the center, there is the Odell Chapman
label in pristine condition, to the immediate right is a Label from Cooperman Drum
Company indicating refinishing in 1992 (date in pencil) by Ken Lemley, a name well-known
within the fife and drum community. The
shocker for me however was the picture to the left of the label and the caption
under it.
The
picture is of a man in a colonial uniform with a drum next to him on a step and
he is surrounded by a bunch of trophies.
The writing on the original photograph reads:
182
1st Prize cups and medals
Frank
Fancher, Wizard of the Drum
World’s
Champion Rudimental Drummer
The caption below the
picture reads:
This
Snare Drum made by Odell M. Chapman, year of 1918 and used by Frank S. Fancher,
World’s Champion Drummer and Chief Musician of Odell M. Champman’s Continental
Drum Corps of Willimantic Connecticut. Mr.
Fancher won 186 first prizes for individual snare drumming on this drum during
his association with the Chapman Corps.
For those of you not familiar
with Frank Fancher, he was the first true rock star (for lack of a better term)
of rudimental drumming. In his life
Frank won more than 200 1st place prizes for solo snare drum competitions
and that number does not include championships won with the corps with which he
marched. Let that sink in for a moment
and ask yourself what other drummer can match that number? Frank regularly competed against other
rudimental drumming royalty such as J. Burns Moore, Earl Sturtze, Dan English,
Sanford “Gus” Moeller, and many others.
Frank was the very first
endorsor for the Ludwig drum company in the early 1920s and was later wooed
away by Slingerland and was given his own signature model snare drum that was
produced for only two years. Francher model Slingerland drums come up for
auction every so often, are highly sought, and usually fetch very good
prices. They are signature snares. I can imagine that there will interest by
vintage drum buffs who learn that this drum actually exists and was Fancher’s
personal drum used for competition. I’m
hoping that a few of them would like to come check it out in person.
I
have seen the picture on the inside of the drum many times, as it has been used
by Ludwig and Slingerland drum companies when providing information about Frank
Francher. This very drum is the drum in
the picture affixed to the inside of the shell after Francher’s tenure with the
Chapman Corps. As a lover of rope drums,
it is a drum that I have looked at in the picture many times and wondered to
myself “What ever happened to that drum?”
So realizing that I was holding that very drum in my hands was a special
moment for me on a personal level. The
drum is one of my favorite pieces in the museum’s collection.
The
Fancher drum and all of the other drums and many others are on display at the
Company of Fifers and Drummers Museum so come out to see this extraordinary
collection of very special drums, fifes, uniforms and related fife and drum
corps artifacts. Until then, keep
watching here to see what other treasures I uncover as I take my next look through
the vent hole.
Matt Alling
CT Pro Percussion
www.ctpropercussion.com
203-228-0488 - Phone
Calfskin, it's the new plastic
