Annotation:Buonoparte's March
Back to Buonoparte's March
BUONOPARTE'S MARCH. AKA and see "Bonaparte's Grand March (1)," "Hanoverian March," "Napoleon's March," "Bonaparte's March (2)." Scottish, March (cut time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABC. Most titles reference (albeit with different spellings) Napoleon Bonaparte. The tune appears in numerous English fiddlers' manuscripts of the 19th century. Ironbridge, Shropshire, musician John Moore included it in his music manuscript as "Hanoverian March." J. Winter (Stanton, Gloucestershire) had it in his 1833 manuscript, as did Cumbrian musician Henry Stables (Waithwaite, Cumbria, 1881). Likewise, William Irwin (Langdale, Cumbria, 1838) and John Clare (Helpstone, Northants, c. 1820) also noted it into their copybooks (see ""Napoleon's March"). As "Napoleon('s March)" it was played in an 1884 Melbourne, Australia, concert given by Irish uilleann piper John Coughlin, records O'Neill (1913). Melodeon player George Tremain of Yorkshire recorded the march on a 78 RPM record in the 1950's (BBC 1862B:RW), and also recorded by whistle player Billy Conroy (Northumberland) and fiddler Billy Pennock (Goathland, north Yorkshire moors). It was also in the repertoire of Gloucestershire fiddler Stephen Baldwin (1873-1955), recorded (as "Napoleon's Grand March") by Peter Kennedy for the BBC in the early 1950's.
The tune was included in the music manuscript collection of Beach, although the title was changed to ""Colonel Orne's March.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 4), c. 1880's; No. 370, p. 40.
Recorded sources: Musical Traditions MTCD334, Stephen Baldwin - "Here's One You'll Like, I Think" (2005).