Special Treat At Royal Artillery Museum This Sunday, August 9

Visitors to Firepower The Royal Artillery Museum are in for a special treat this Sunday, 9 August. The popular heritage attraction within the Royal Arsenal Woolwich is hosting an afternoon of rousing military music with The 1st Cinque Ports Rifle Volunteers Corps of Drums.

The Corps is a group of civilian enthusiasts keen to promote and preserve the traditions and music of the British Army’s drum, flute and bugle Corps of Drums. The group has adopted the title and eye-catching scarlet full dress of the pre-1908 Cinque Ports Rifle Volunteers as a mark of respect for those who served as Volunteers in the past.

Popularly known as fifes and drums, the Corps of Drums is Britain's oldest military music. From the early 1500s drums, and later drums and fifes, signalled soldiers' movements on the battlefield, and cheered them on the march and in camp. By Victorian times the Corps of Drums had assumed its modern form - lead by a Drum Major and consisting of side-drummers, tenor drummers, a bass drummer, a cymbalist and flute players.

The demonstration will begin with a marching display at 2pm, static playing from 2.45 – 3pm then another marching and playing display at 4pm.Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum is based at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, the birthplace of the Royal Artillery which was founded there in 1716. The history of artillery is illustrated by Firepower’s world-class display of artillery from catapults to rockets, from the medieval battlefield to modern peacekeeping missions, the collections including uniforms, drawings, diaries and medals bring together 700 years of artillery and human history.

Experiences at Firepower include the ground-shaking Field of Fire audio-visual show where visitors are put in the midst of battle as shells and aircraft fly overhead and guns roar, giving an insight into the experiences of an artillery gunner.

Admission to the Museum costs: Adults £5.00, children £2.50, concessions £4.50. Discounted family tickets are also available. For more information about Firepower visit www.firepower.org.uk , call 020 8855 7755 or email info@firepower.org.uk. Firepower is located in the historic Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London, between the A206 and the Thames.