The Battle of Cedar Creek – This melody was written by Private J. Pressley of the 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. He was wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek and composed this tune to commemorate the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers. We were introduced to this song by banjo player, Howard Zane who learned it in 1948 from Bob Pressley, the son of the composer. Tombigbee Waltz – This waltz is named for the Tombigbee River which flows from north east Mississippi into the Alabama River. The melody evolved from a popular minstrel song The Gum Tree Canoe. The lyrics were penned by S. S. Steele and the music was composed by A. F. Winnemore. The song was published by in 1847 by George F. Reed of Boston, MA. Billy In the Low Ground – This tune evolved in Great Britain in the 18th century and found its way to America early in the 19th century. It was included in George Knauff’s Virginia Reels Volume III published by George Willig, Baltimore, MD in 1839. Ben Smith of the 12th Alabama Infantry was chronicled, in the unit’s memoir, as playing Billy In the Low Ground in camp during the conflict. According to historian Bell Irvin Wiley’s book, The Life of Johnny Reb, this was one of the favorite tunes of Confederate fiddlers. The Yellow Rose of Texas / Cindy – The earliest known version of The Yellow Rose’s lyrics is found in Christy’s Plantation Melodies No. 2. This songbook was published in Philadelphia in 1853 under the authority of Edwin Pearce Christy. The sheet music was published in 1858 by Firth, Pond & Co. and identified the composer as only “J. K.” Cindy is an anonymous Appalachian folk melody. It was a favorite “play party” song popularized by the mountain fiddlers in the early 19th century. Roscoe’s Waltz – This “old time” tune with a “crooked waltz time” was popularized by Roscoe Parish a fiddle and banjo player from Coal Creek, VA. His philosophy is summed up in his quote. “…if you play the fiddle or banjo and you enjoy it, you never get blue … and it will rest you more than anything … pleasant thoughts help you.” Soldier’s Joy / Angeline the Baker – This Virginia reel medley starts with the oldest and most widely played fiddle tune, Soldier’s Joy. It is included in the 3rd Volume of Rutherford’s Compleat Collection of two thousand of the most Celebrated Dances, Both Old & New published in Scotland in 1750. Angeline the Baker is an “old time” tune derived from a sentimental Stephen Foster song called Angelina Baker. When the song was published by F. D. Benteen of Baltimore, MD in 1850 Foster had an exclusive arrangement with the most popular minstrel band of the era, The Christy Minstrels, to premier and popularize his compositions. The White Cockade / Devil’s Dream ~ A Scottish tune first published in 1687, The White Cockade has been popular in British, Irish, Scottish and American military music ever since. During the Civil War it was put to words in a song about southern ships. The fife tune from the G.A.R.’s 1905 American Veteran Fifer. Hart’s Instructor for the Drum states this “Fancy Quickstep” drum beat is played for accompaniment.Devil’s Dream, originally a 1790’s Scottish reel called “Devil Among the Tailors,” this widely popular fife/fiddle tune is occasionally rumored to have been composed by Old Scratch himself. The fife version is from Howe’s 1851 School of the Fife – the drum part from Conklin’s 2/4 Stick Beat out of Hart’s Instructor. Glendy Burke ~ This 1860 Stephen Foster song is one of a multitude of antebellum pieces that deal with America’s fascination with river-borne trade and transportation and the often larger than life characters to be found there. John Brown's March / John Brown's Dream ~ These two traditional pieces are part of a group of fiddle tunes from the Civil War era, which are believed to have John Brown, the radical abolitionist, as a theme. Although of uncertain origin, these pieces are commonly found in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. An alternative interpretation is that the John Brown referred to was Sgt. John Brown of the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, killed by a civilian mob as he led his men through the streets of Baltimore in 1861. Lynchburg Town / Briggs’ Jig ~ These tunes represent two standards of the early banjo. Lynchburg Town is very much in the same story telling genre as Joel Sweeney’s Johnny Boker. Briggs’ Jig comes from the banjo manual written in honor of T.F. Briggs, an early banjo giant, by his friends in 1855. Palmetto Quickstep ~ This medley of traditional military fife-and-drum tunes is drawn directly from the classic text for Civil War fifes-and-drummers by Bruce and Emmett. In this, the tunes are unique and very authentic interpretations of the most commonly heard music of the southern soldier. The set here is made up of The Girl I Left Behind Me, Liverpool Hornpipe/Kenderbecks, and Biddy Oats. It should be duly noted that the Emmett credited above is the very same known far and wide as the famous minstrel. McLeod's Reel ~ A traditional 18th century Scottish fiddle tune, McLeod's Reel was especially popular with the Scottish colonial settlers of the North Carolina-Appalachian Mountain regions. By the mid-19th century, the growth in popularity of the tune had made it a staple anywhere reels were danced, and it is still commonly performed in modern dance ensembles. It has been called the original Virginia Reel. Rickett's Hornpipe / Fishar's Hornpipe ~ During the pre-war years, dance tunes such as Rickett's Hornpipe were popular diversions in private homes and at public gatherings. In writing about antebellum home life, David Holt, later a private in the 16th Mississippi, mentions that his "father approved of dancing. He danced a remarkable minuet and 'Fishar's Hornpipe'."* This version demonstrates the result when martial musicians would mix the fife and drum with the civilian fiddle and banjo in a military camp environment. O Lemuel ~ This 1850 Foster story telling song was written for the stage at the height of his association with black face minstrelsy. Foster would distance himself from such songs in his later works as he tried to capture the “legitimate” music market. Granny Will Your Dog Bite / Guilderoy ~ This fife version of Granny comes from Bayard’s Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife, as learned from “Great-Uncle Uriah, born 1792.” The drum cadence is from “Captain Whiting’s Quickstep,” in Bruce & Emmett’s 1862 Drummer’s and Fifer’s Guide. At the battle of Sharpsburg, in September of 1862, a soldier-fiddler of the 3rd Arkansas regiment of Cooke’s Demi-Brigade, played this tune at the request of his captain as Cooke’s command rose to the attack. The ballad Guilderoy, published as early as 1650, was about a highwayman hanged in 1636. The tune, a Civil War favorite, is known today as the Irish song The Jolly Beggarman. The fife tune is from the G.A.R.’s 1905 American Veteran Fifer. Col. H. Hart’s Instructor for the Drum stated No.2 Tattoo Beat was to be played with it. The Arkansas Traveler ~ One of the best known of all American fiddle tunes. It achieved extensive popularity during the 1850's, and retained its fame throughout the war. originally, the tune was published in 1847 by William Cumming, and several editions soon followed featuring comic lyrics. In the guise of a "comic song," it built additional fame with travelling minstrel companies. Its irresistible appeal rings down to the present day. Circus Jig / Jim Along Josie ~ Circus Jig and Jim Along Josie were popular banjo tunes of the day often played between circus acts as well as on the minstrel stage. They were published in 1855 in Briggs' Banjo Instructor. Liza Jane / Mississippi Sawyer / Road to Boston ~ All fiddle tunes in the best tradition of American fiddling, Liza Jane can be dated to at least 1855, Mississippi Sawyer to 1839, and Road to Boston to 1852. They are presented here as a medley and as such have become one of our favorite Virginia reel pieces. Cavalier's Waltz ~ Anonymous. This traditional waltz was popular during the first half of the 19th century. Cripple Creek / Old Joe Clarke / The Girl I Left Behind Me ( A Virginia Reel Medley) ~ All three of these tunes remain popular to this day. There is some evidence that the first two may have roots as far back as the 1840’s and have survived through the “old time” fiddle tradition. The Girl I Left Behind Me was heard as far back as the American Revolution and in the Civil War was a favorite field music standard as well as being the song that many soldiers of both sides heard as they marched off to war. Amazing Grace • The Reverend John Newton wrote this hymn, as a chant for his 1773 New Year’s church service in Olney, England. It was published in 1779 in the Olney Hymns and subsequently sung to the tune Hephzibah. Fifty-six years later South Carolinian, William Walker, took an anonymous melody from the hymn Harmony Grove, refined it and renamed it New Britain. He then set the Amazing Grace lyrics to the melody of New Britain. It was published in 1835 in Southern Harmony and in 1844 in Benjamin Franklin White’s popular collection, The Sacred Harp. During the late years of the Civil War a great religious revival swept through the armies. Amazing Grace was considered a favorite hymn from home and it was included in at least three hymnals, The Soldiers Hymn Book, Hymnals for the Camp, and Hymn Book for the Army & Navy. Stonewall Jackson’s Way / Garryowen • R.W. Randolph published Stonewall Jackson’s Way in Richmond, VA in 1863. The sheet music deliberately misdirected the identity of the composer by stating, “Found on a Confederate Sergeant of the old Stonewall Brigade, taken at Winchester, Va.” This was necessary to shield the songwriter, John W. Palmer from arrest as a Southern sympathizer. The Baltimore native was a war correspondent for Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune and assigned to cover the 1862 Maryland Campaign. As Palmer listened to the roar of the guns, he whistled an Oregon logger’s tune and penned “Stonewall’s” ballad. Garryowen translates from Gaelic as Owen’s Garden and is the name of a suburb of Limerick, Ireland. The lyrics immortalize a gang of hooligans who ran riot in the neighborhood. The melody first appeared in print in Edward Light’s Introduction to Playing the Harp-Lute & Apollo-Lyre (London 1785) as Cory Owen. By the time of the War Between the States the song was well known to both Rebel and Federal musicians and it appeared in a number of Civil War songsters. Ashokan Farewell ~ Jay Ungar composed this melody in 1982 and it was featured in the 1990 Ken Burns’ television miniseries, The Civil War. College Hornpipe / Rakes of Mallow ~ One of the earliest printings of this tune appears in Jonathan Fentum’s Compleat Tutor for the German Flute published in London in 1766. This melody became known as the Sailors’Hornpipe through its association with American dancer, John Durang. As a popular stage performer, he toured the country in nautical costume as “Jack Tar” and danced the hornpipe. The earliest appearance of Rakes of Mallow is in Walsh’s Caledonian Country Dances published in London, 1733. A “rake” is an antiquated word describing someone who is so debauched that they are destined to rake the coals of Hell. Mallow is a town located near Cork, Ireland. In 1724 a warm spring was discovered there and a spa was built. Mallow became a major resort between 1730 and 1810 attracting visitors from throughout Ireland and England. The lyrics to this ballad sing the exploits of certain youthful and fashionable, but immoral male visitors. Patri’s [Spanish] Waltz ~ The tune dates from the 1820’s. We were first introduced to this four part waltz by our late dance master, Patri Pugliese. The first two parts were published in 1859, in Howe’s Drawing Room Dances, under the title Spanish Dance. The remaining parts were published in 1851 in Howe’s School for Violin as the Cinderella Waltz. Kelton’s Reel / Waiting For the Federals • Both of these reels have a plethora of related tunes. A member of the Kelton’s family of tunes is an 1844 minstrel song, My Old Dad. The composer of “Dixie,” Daniel Emmett, incorporated Kelton’s melody into My Old Dad and never claimed credit for the writing the music. Other tunes in the Kelton family include The Pigtown Fling, Wild Horse, Wild Horses at Stoney Point and Stoney Point. During the War Between the States, Missouri was ravaged by conventional and guerilla warfare. The title Waiting for the Federals expresses the determination of the pro-Confederate citizens to stand their ground. This family of tunes includes Seneca War Dance, Georgia Boys, Federal Hornpipe, Getting Out of the Way of the Federals and Running from the Federals. The Minstrel Boy • (1813) This song was published in the 5th volume of the very successful ten volume work, Moore’s Irish Melodies (1807-1834). Thomas Moore wrote the lyrics and set them to the melody of an old Irish aire, The Mooreen. During the War this popular tune was a favorite of President Jefferson Davis and the many Irish volunteers who fought for the Blue and the Grey. My Lodgings On The Cold, Cold Ground ~ This song was originally written by Matthew Locke in 1665. The first publication was in a London songbook in 1775. Thomas Moore rewrote the lyrics and published it in 1808 under the title Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms. Thomas Moore’s works are better known in America today than in the mid-nineteenth century. Therefore, we have listed the tune as the soldiers would have known it. McLeod’s Reel / Zip Coon • McLeod’s is a traditional 18th century Scottish fiddle tune first published in Neil Gow’s Strathspey Reels of 1809. Better known today as the tune Turkey in the Straw, Zip Coon was itself derived from an earlier piece entitled Natchez Under the Hill. Published as Old Zip Coon in 1834 by the team of Bob Farrel and George Nickols. However, the melody’s origin dates back to 1760, when it was published as The Gimblet in James Oswald’s Caledonian Pocket Companion. it was simultaneously claimed by songwriter George W. Dixon. It became one of the most popular minstrel tunes ever written and achieved great success in the performances of the Sweeney family, "Old Joe's Minstrels." By 1861, Dan Emmett had changed the tune slightly and rewrote the lyrics giving the new title, Turkey in the Straw. German [Heaven’s Gate] Waltz ~ This catchy tune was written by David Mansfield for the 1980 movie Heaven’s Gate. Unfortunately, the movie was not a success but the musical score is wonderful and this tune, known as Heaven’s Gate Waltz is one of our favorite waltzes. Flowers of Edinburgh / Welcome Here Again ~ James Oswald composed this melody and published it in his 1742 Curious Collection of Scots Tunes. In 1839 George P. Knauff compiled thirty-five southeastern Virginia fiddle tunes and had them published by George Willig Jr. of Baltimore. This collection entitled, “Virginia Reels” is the earliest known printed example of southern fiddle music. Included in Volume II is Flowers of Edinburgh under the title Old Virginia. Welcome Here Again is included in Thompson’s Complete Collection of 200 Favorite Country Dances, Vol. 3 (London 1773), under the title You Be Welcome Here Again. It was popular with American fifers during the Revolutionary War and was included in John Greenwood’s 1785 manuscript as Welcome Here Again. Hawks and Eagles • (Traditional) The source for this breakdown was Norman S. Edmonds, a third generation fiddler from Wythe County, VA. Edmonds played just like his father and grandfather holding his fiddle on his chest rather than under his chin. He had an extensive repertory and was instrumental in preserving the Southern fiddle traditions. A “breakdown” was any energetic dance tune played at the harvest festival after the breaking down (shucking) of the corn. Old Rosin the Beau ~ While quite old in the Irish traditional music world, it was known in Americas since at least 1838 when it first appeared in American sheet music. Used by politicians and song writers alike, it had many incarnations throughout the 19th century and here makes for a lovely waltz.