Annotation:Spirits of France
X:1 T:Spirits of France M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Reel B:Elias Howe – Second Part of the Musician’s Companion (1843, p. 53) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:C V:1 (g/e/)|cc B/c/d/B/|c/B/c/d/ c(a/f/)|dd d/e/d/ |B/c/d/B/ .G(F/E/)| Fddc|EccA|Bc d/c/e/d/|(c/B/)(c/A/) G:| |:E/F/|G/F/E/F/ .GG/E/|F/E/D/E/ .FF/D/|E/C/E/G/ c/G/E/C/|D/C/D/E/ .DE/D/| .C.c.G.e|cgg (f/e/)|de/d/ c/B/[A/c/]B/|(c/B/)(c/d/) c:| V:2 z|EE D/E/F/D/|E/D/E/F/ Ef/d/|BB B/c/B/A/|D/E/F/D/ ED/C/| DFFE|CEEF|DE F/E/G/F/|E/D/E/F/ E:| |:z|E/D/C/D/ EE/C/|D/C/B,/C/ DD/B,/|C/G,/C/E/ G/E/C/G,/|B,/A,/B,/C/ B,C/B,/| G,ECc|Eee (d/c/)|Bc/B/ E/D/F/D/|(E/D/)(E/F/) E:|]
SPIRITS OF FRANCE, THE. AKA and see "Spirit of New Orleans (The)," "Spirit of Ireland (The)." American, March (4/4 time). USA, southwestern Pa. C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Bayard): AABB (Howe, O’Flannagan). Howe (c. 1867) prints directions for a contra-dance to the tune. However, the dance seems much older than his publication, for directions to Spirits of France appear in several publications and commonplace books, as it was, for example, in the copybook of Mrs. George Webb (probably from Vermont), dating from the 1798. It appears to have been particularly popular from the late 1790’s through the first decade of the 19th century. The tune perhaps appears earliest in The Ladies and Gentleman’s Companion, published in Massachusetts in 1803. These dates suggest that the title refers not to (or perhaps both too) French wine or liquor, but rather to the French Revolution of the late 18th century, which resonated considerably in America. William Shape (fiddler from Greene County, Pa., 1930's) [Bayard].
