Annotation:Old Catville Quadrille
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OLD CATVILLE QUADRILLE. Paul Gifford notes the first change of this quadrille is a variant of the tune known as "Whalen's Breakdown" (in 2/4 time) and the first strain of "Bride of the Wind(s)" (in jig time). Musicologist Paul Gifford says [1] the tune is "almost universal" to Michigan fiddlers in both 2/4 and 6/8 time versions, although no one name appears to have held command. He doubts claims for a Canadian provenance (as in "Bride of the Winds," credited to Jim Magill by Jarman & Co., 1951), and instead believes it was once a tune in wide dissemination. He calls it simply "6/8 in C."
"Old Catville Quadrille" was recorded by 'Colonel' John A. Pattee [2] [3] (1844-1924) for Columbia in 1923--"Catville" was the former name of Pattee's hometown, New Boston, Michigan. Pattee was a Civil War veteran, having served with the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment and been posted to a gun battery for the Iron Brigade through many of the war's most vicious battles. Although he never attained the rank of 'colonel' (a self-promotion for the stage), he was instrumental in forming a vaudeville act in 1904 called the Old Soldiers Fiddlers, in which two Southern and two Northern fiddlers played their regional music, and, in reconciliation, played together (with handshakes).
He also broadcast on radio WEAF until his death. This notice appeared in the New York Times of Dec. 28, 1924 (sec. 8, p. 12, col. 5):
Colonel John A. Pattee, old soldier fiddler and favorite of WEAFS Radio Audience, will never stand before a microphone again. This unfortunate news came with word of his death which cancelled his radio barn dance from WEAF scheduled for Saturday Evening, Dec. 20, 1924,
Colonel Pattee was 80 years of age and a civil war veteran, having served in the twenty- fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, called the "Iron Brigade, " which opened the Battle of Gettysburg.
On numerous occasions he has appeared on WEAF's programs, playing the old dance tunes on his fiddle just as he played them before the civil war days.
His voice, calling out each tune in the fashion of the country fiddler, won for him a warm spot in the hearts of WEAF's radio listeners.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources:
Recorded sources: Columbia 231-B/Harmony 5103, Col. John Pattee (1914).
See also listing at:
Hear Pattee's recording at Michigan Fiddlers [4]
See notes and examples from "Paul Gifford's Collection of Old-Time Fiddling, Duclimer playing, and Songs from Michigan and the Great Lakes Region" [5]