Culloden Fight

CULLODEN FIGHT. English, Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune appears several 18th century publications, including Johnson's Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances (vol. 4, pg. 62, London, 1748), Charles & Samuel Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances (vol. 3, London, c. 1772-73), R. Bride's Favourite Collection of 200 Country Dances, Cotillons and Allemands (vol. III, pg. 58, London, 1776), and Longman, Lukey, & Co.'s Dances for 1772. It was written soon after the 1745 battle, for musicologist Frank Kidson (1890) reported that not long afterwards British military officers called upon musicians at Edinburgh's Canongate Theater to play it, and a riot ensued when the rest of the audience demanded the Jacobite melody "You're Welcome, Charlie Stuart."

The tune also appears in the music manuscript copybook of fiddler John Burks, dated 1821 (a photocopy in possession of the ed.). Unfortunately, nothing is known of Burks although he may have been from the north of England. In America the tune was included by Abel Shattuck (Colrain, Massachusetts) in his c. 1801-1820 music commonplace book, and by fifer Seth Johnson (Woburn, Massachusetts) in his commonplace book of 1807-1840.

Kidson (Old English Country Dances), 1890; pg. 7. Thompson (Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3), 1773; No. 126.

X:1
T:Culloden Fight
M:6/8
L:1/8
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
S:Frank Kidson - Old English Country Dances (1890)
K:G
GAG B2G|d2B A2G|BcB c2A|E2 A FED|
GAG B2G|d2B A2G|g2e d2G|A3 G2:|
|:B2G B2G|E2A FED|B2G B2G|dcB A3|
B2G B2G|ABc EFG|ABc dBG|A3 G3:||

X:2
T:Culloden Fight
M:6/8
L:1/8
B:Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3 (London, 1773)
Z:Transcribed and edited by Fynnian Titford-Mock, 2007
Z:abc's:AK/Fiddler's Companion 
K:G
GAG B2G|d2B A3|GAG B2G|F2G AFD|GAG B2G|
d2B A3|gfg edc|BcA G3::B2G B2G|F2G AFD|B2G B2G|
cBc ABc|B2G B2G|F2G AFD|gfg edc|BcA G3:||