Annotation:Twenty Second of February
X:1 T:Twenty Second of February M:2/4 L:1/8 R:reel B:George P. Knauff – Virginia Reels, vol. II (Baltimore, 1839) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A F|(EC/E/) Dz|(BG/B/) Az|B/e/c/E/ d/E/c/E/|(B/c/B/A/) (A/G/F/E/)| EC/E/ Dz|BG/B/ Az|(f/d/g/e/) (a/f/e/d/)|c/B/A/G/ A|| (f/g/)|ag/a/ (fg/a/)|b2 (a/g/f/e/)|g/e/b/e/ g/e/b/e/|(f/g/a/f/) (ef/g/)| (ag/a/) (f/g/a/f/)|(ef/e/) (d/c/B/A/)|f/d/g/e/ (a/f/e/d/)|c/B/A/G/ A||
TWENTY SECOND OF FEBRUARY. AKA - "The 22nd of February." AKA and see "Miller's Reel (1)," "Twenty Eighth of January." American, Reel. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The melody, whose title commemorates first American President George Washington's birthday, is contained in Virginia musician and music teacher George P. Knauff's publication Virginia Reels, volume II (Baltimore, 1839). As Chris Goertzen points out in his George P. Knauff's Virginia Reels and the History of American Fiddling (2017, p. 62), in Knauff's time Washington was not only a national figure, but a local one as well whose birthday was "enthusiastically celebrated in Knauff's time."
On Washington's Birthday, the Blues, together with the other militia companies of the city, paraded the streets in the afternoon. A salute was fired by the artillery and a patriotic address was made by some prominent citizen. The ceremonies generally concluded with a military ball in the evening, given by the Blues. The annual ball was one of the most brilliant social events in the life of the city[1].
- ↑ John A. Cutchins, A Famous Command: The Richmond Light Infantry Blues, 1934; p. 46. Quoted by Goertzen.