TRADITIONAL FIFES

Henry “Ed” Ferrary was a machinist for 28 yrs from Kearny, New Jersey who removed to Essex, CT in 1967, setting up his “secret shop” behind a bulkhead in his garage.  Until he moved on to the scene, other local fife makers were practicing their craft using older, cruder methods; Ed utilized a “secret method” that burnished the bore as it drilled it thus creating a fife far easier to play, although it did NOT seal the bore “permanently, insuring the tone in any temperature change“.  Ed swore for YEARS that his methods would go to his grave with him; yet during the final years of his life he was my first teacher of the trade, explaining his methods in a very rare moment of handing down his technique when in most cases he held very tight to his “secrets”. He prided himself in only using “Grenidella” wood (He meant Grenadilla, also known as African Backwood, or Mpingo wood) although frequently called it “ebony” to his buying public; Ed, in fact, had also used Rosewood and Cocobolo Wood, the latter he stopped using as he felt that it was “toxic” (not in fact toxic, but there are a fair number of people who are allergic to it).  Ed played for a time with the Deep River Fife & Drum Corps and even served as the chairperson running the Deep River Ancient Muster, but then began playing only with the Continentals Fifes & Drums (now defunct) in Essex, CT.  Due to the cost of obtaining instrument-grade African Blackwood, we have ceased using this wood for this model.  If you insist upon it, please contact us directly for a price and estimated time to complete your order.

The “Nach-Ferrary” model is an exact copy of the fife that “Ed” made me,  which is also the model he had made for some of the mid-western corps.  I suggest Katalox wood as African blackwood has become quite expensive. Katalox has all the properties of African Blackwood but it is not black, although it is dark and will darken with oiling, sun exposure, and usage; my earliest examples of fifes made in Katalox are virtually indistinguishable from Blackwood to the public as you march by.  One of my first replicas was so exact that I fooled a local “Ferrary expert” who is an old timer and was a good acquaintance of Ed.  After several requests, I have included the “short ferrule” version… Here in Honduras Rosewood but other woods upon request.

“Holy cr.., Joe!  I seriously thought that I was playing an original Ferrary!  This fife will make a name for ya!  Keep it up!”  Art Pope – Marana, AZ

“Joseph Morneault makes the most beautiful fifes in the world! They sound like angels singing from heaven.
I recently bought his Nach Ferrary in the most gorgeous rosewood, and I am head-over-heels in love with this amazing instrument. It sounds GREAT! I am able to glide over the wonderful style of the finger-holes; it’s SO fun to play. Every fifer needs one!
Joseph was so helpful during the ordering process. I am so grateful for everything – can’t recommend Musique Morneaux enough!” – Erin Martin, Chester, Ill.

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Modeled after the Callender 1787 model found in the Historical Page, this fife has been optimized to play traditional Bb for today’s fife&drum corps.  It is named for the Fifes and Drums of Yorktown for whom I made the first such fife.  Rosewood, Katalox (darker), and American Boxwood are the common choices of wood for this model.

“It plays beautifully in all three octaves, has a wonderful tone response, and with the bore size it has an excellent tone and sound projection. The upper octave almost plays itself.”   Stephan Southard, Toano, VA.

“I was listening to some old videos of Yorktown (playing fifes from a different maker) from the around 2007-2014 time frame. Oye. The fife intonation and overal sound was horrible. The group today playing (your) Yorktown model have such a better, cleaner sound. More centered and in tune with each other . I cant say thank you enough for what you have done for us.” – Stephan Southard, Toana, VA.

“Jos, I bought my Yorktown model about 6 months ago, adding to my collection of fifes from Connecticut makers.  I gotta say that this one is really my favorite and I applaud you for your stellar craftsmanship! I’ve been spreading the word to the other fifers in my regiment and any reinactment I go to. I hope that you’re getting the business you deserve!”  Will Johnston, Cincinnati, Ohio.

“I recently took a fife instructor job at the York Town corps and have been stepping up my fife practice! I got yours and a __ Model at the same time. Not only do I prefer yours for the tone and response but yours can easily blend with the (older fifes from another maker) some of our students play on!” – Tim Fary Jr, Yorktown, VA.

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London Model

Answering a need for reenactors portraying a British impression, wanting to play a historically accurate fife for the 18th century, yet needing to be compatible with modern trad fife & drum, this model was developed.  Like the Yorktown Model is based upon the historical Callender fife, the London Model is based upon the British Dillon Cahusac fife.  As so many of the fifes used by British fifers at this time were made in London, England, thus the name.  It is made of American Boxwood (Calycophyllum multiflorum) with brass ferrules, is 17″ in length, trad Bb (A=443), and currently is made only to order… It may be several weeks after you order before a set will be complete and ready to ship.

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Using a Klemm fife at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Ralph had created this model as a good, general design to cover fifers looking for an 18th century/early 19th century appearance while still being able to play in traditional Bb.  Simple, one piece, brass ferrules.  The key of C is also available, this pitch being actually the far more commonly used in the 18th century.  This model falls into both the traditional and historical frames and so I have it on both pages.

the Kip Sevigny Model Fife

Clifford Anthony “Kip” Sevigny lived from 1897 to 1975.  Born in Tylerville, Haddam, CT, he was an Army veteran of both World Wars (served as an anti-aircraft gunner), commissioned a 2d lieutenant in the CT State Guard Reserve, a volunteer fireman in the town of Chester, Connecticut, had worked as a tile cutter, a carpenter with his father by civilian trade, and a fife maker.  Aside from a stint during the Great Depression when he went south to work for Sunoco and managed a few gas stations for a cousin, Kip lived his life in Chester.  His house still stands which overlooks the north side of St-Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery where he is buried with his parents and sister; he never married.

Kip’s fifes were well known in his day, but he made them in small numbers, unable to compete with the more generally known makers such as Cloos and Penzel-Muller.  He had his standard design which he complained bitterly that the Cloos Company had “stolen” from him… The Cloos “Improved Model” does indeed share the profile and bore diameter.  Years later, Ed Olsen told me that Henry “Ed” Ferrary had, in fact, stolen Kip’s design – the tone hole layout and bore diameter but used his own boring method (see the Nach-Ferrary).  When I compare the several standard design Kip fifes I’ve handled to Ferrary’s standard Bb layout, I can see Ed’s point.  Ralph Sweet had paid Kip a visit in around 1957 to watch him make fifes and related to me what he had witnessed of the process. Kip supplied, during his lifetime, all the fifes utilized by the Chester Fife & Drum Corps and some of his fifes are on display at the Sousa Band Archives at the Center for American Music in Illinois; the post-1892 Sousa Band had apparently purchased a set of Kip’s fifes very early in the 20^th century and utilized them until about 1930 when the band shut down.  Or so the story goes.

Kip died in Chester in 1975; his fifes had already been eclipsed by those made by Henry “Ed” Ferrary in nearby Essex.  While Kip had been making his bores with twist drills and reamers, Ferrary utilized a “gun drill” which made a smooth, burnished bore.  Thus, Ferrary fifes were easier to play particularly in the highest register.  My replica of Kip’s “standard design” features the short, tapered ferrules he liked to use and the bore is made as I make all my bores; it plays actually a bit better than Kip’s fifes for mine has the smoother bore with no hitches, perturbations, or interruptions left behind by the old “twist drill method”.  I offer this excellent model to keep the memory of Kip alive and to offer another locally impactful fife to the collection.