Annotation:Smith's a Gallant Fireman (The)

Back to Smith's a Gallant Fireman (The)

X:1 T:Smiths are Gallant Firemen M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Davie's Caledonian Repository (Aberdeen, 1829-30, p. 5) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D D3F A/A/A AB|ABdA GFED|E3F B/B/B Bf|gfed {c}B2 Bd| D3F A/A/A AB|ABdA GFED|GABG FGAF|EFGA B2 BA:| |:d3f d/d/d dA|BAdA GFED|e3f e/e/e ef|gfed {c}B2 Be| d3f d/d/d dA|BAdA GFED|GBGB FAFA|EFGA B2 Bd:||

SMITH'S A GALLANT FIREMAN, THE. AKA and see "Carrick's Reel/Carrack's Reel/Rant," “More Luck to Us,” “Riley's Favorite.” Scottish, Strathspey. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Kerr, Martin, Milne, Skinner): AAB (Skye): ABCD (Hardie). Bill Hardie (1986) remarks the title refers to the days when the village blacksmith would serve the populace not only by his trade, but would be called upon to extinguish fires in the event of an emergency. From "J. Scott Skinner's Set" notes Skinner (1843-1927) himself in The Scottish Violinist (1900), while Bill Hardie (1986) styles it "After Charles Hardie's Set." A Northumbrian version is known under the title “Sir John Fenwick," while an Irish variant is called "More Luck to Us."

Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : - Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; p. 15. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; Set 3, No. 1, p. 4. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 44. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling). 2002; p. 126. Milne (Middleton’s Selection of Strathspeys, Reels &c. for the Violin), 1870; p. 9. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist, with variation), p. 16.

Recorded sources: - Rounder 7001, Joe Cormier - "Scottish Violin Music from Cape Breton Island" (1974). “The Caledonian Companion” (1975).

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index: [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]