Annotation:Georgia Grenadier's March (The): Difference between revisions

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GEORGIA GRENEDIER'S MARCH, THE. American, March (whole time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody also appears in The Compleat Tutor for the Fife by George Willig, published in 1805 in Philadelphia (p. 29), and in the period music manuscript collection of flute player John Hoff (1776-1818).

The Georgia Grenadiers was an American militia company formed in 1772 by Samuel Elbert to help protect the Georgia colony's frontier from Native American incursions. Upon receiving permission from the Crown Governor (James Habersham), Elbert traveled to England where he bought distinctive uniforms and equipment, modeled after the elite British Grenadiers. A few years later music teacher and composer, James Alexander, wrote a march for the company called "The Georgia Grenadiers", and had it published by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia in 1776 [Keller, Dance and it's Music in America, 1528-1789, 2007, p. 164). Alexander was born Scotland in 1749 and emigrated to Savannah around 1775, where he initially was intensely pro-American. He joined Elbert's militia and rose to the rank of Captain.

Keller comments that it is "a rare example of an attributed composer in an American imprint." She suggests the march was played at local assemblies as an accompaniment to a country dance, noting the topical title would have been of interest.

Alexander may have tried to walk a line between Royalist and Rebels in wartime Georgia during the American Revolution. Keller reports that he was named on the British Disqualifying Act of 1780, but angered Patriots when he returned to teaching music, dancing and the minuet in January, 1781, during the British occupation of the city. At the conclusion of hostilities in 1782 Alexander forced to flee to Canada (as were many dubbed Loyalists), although he was later exonerated. In 1804 he returned to Savannah, where he died the following year.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Aird (Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 3), 1788; No. 568, p. 217

Recorded sources:

Back to Georgia Grenadier's March (The)

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-The Georgia Grenadiers was an American militia company formed in 1772 by Samuel Elbert to help protect the Georgia colony's frontier from Native American incursions. Upon receiving permission from the Crown Governor (James Habersham), Elbert traveled to England where he bought distinctive uniforms and equipment, modeled after the elite British Grenadiers. A few years later Scots expatriate music teacher and composer, James Alexander, wrote a march for the company called "The Georgia Grenadiers", and had it published by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia in 1776 [Keller, '''Dance and it's Music in America, 1528-1789''', 2007, p. 164). The author comments that it is "a rare example of an attributed composer in an American imprint." She suggests the march was played at local assemblies as an accompaniment to a country dance, noting the topical title would have been of interest.
+The Georgia Grenadiers was an American militia company formed in 1772 by Samuel Elbert to help protect the Georgia colony's frontier from Native American incursions. Upon receiving permission from the Crown Governor (James Habersham), Elbert traveled to England where he bought distinctive uniforms and equipment, modeled after the elite British Grenadiers. A few years later music teacher and composer, James Alexander, wrote a march for the company called "The Georgia Grenadiers", and had it published by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia in 1776 [Keller, '''Dance and it's Music in America, 1528-1789''', 2007, p. 164). Alexander was born Scotland in 1749 and emigrated to Savannah around 1775, where he initially was intensely pro-American. He joined Elbert's militia and rose to the rank of Captain.
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-Alexander may have tried to walk a line between Royalist and Rebels in wartime Georgia during the American Revolution. Keller reports that he was named on the British Disqualifying Act of 1780, but angered Patriots when he returned to teaching dancing and the minuet in January, 1781. At the conclusion of hostilities Alexander was exiled to Canada, although he was later exonerated. According to
+Keller comments that it is "a rare example of an attributed composer in an American imprint." She suggests the march was played at local assemblies as an accompaniment to a country dance, noting the topical title would have been of interest.
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+Alexander may have tried to walk a line between Royalist and Rebels in wartime Georgia during the American Revolution. Keller reports that he was named on the British Disqualifying Act of 1780, but angered Patriots when he returned to teaching music, dancing and the minuet in January, 1781, during the British occupation of the city. At the conclusion of hostilities in 1782 Alexander forced to flee to Canada (as were many dubbed Loyalists), although he was later exonerated. In 1804 he returned to Savannah, where he died the following year.
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