Annotation:Stable Call (The)
X: 1 T:Stable Call,The. GS.062 M:3/4 L:1/8 Q:3/4=50 S:George Spencer m/s, Leeds,1831 R:.Fanfare O:England A:Leeds H:1831 Z:vmp.Cherri Graebe K:G major G2GGGG | B2G2B2 | d2 dddd | d2B2d2 |! g2gggg | g2d2B2 | G2 GGGG | G4 "1"d2 :|! |:g2 gggg | g4 bg | a2 dddd | e6 |! a2 aaaa | a4 c'a | b2 gggg | g4 z2 |! G2 GGGG | B2G2B2 | d2 dddd | d2B2d2 |! g2 gggg | g2d2B2 | G2 GGGG | G4 :|
STABLE CALL, THE. AKA and see "Scotch Gray's March (The)." English, Irish; March (3/4, 6/8 or whole time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Donnellan researcher Gerry O'Connor considered that the tune was originally in 4/4 time, although it had been altered to 6/8 time and the key changed in the ms. Conor Ward and Fr. John Quinn find the tune in the music manuscript collections of George Spencer (Leeds, c. 1831, 3/4 time), James Winder (as "Scotch Gray's March", Lancashire, c. 1835-41, 3/4 time) and Patrick O'Farrell (c. 1870's, 6/8 time). O'Connor thought the tune in all likelihood was originally based on a military bugle call, and Quinn/Ward, digging deeper note that a stable call was a military signal to feed and water horses. They find these lyrics, called "Sumner's March to New Mexico," dating to 1858:
Come off to the stables, all if you are able,
And give your horses some oats and some corn;
For it you don't do it, the colonel will know it,
And then you will rue it, as sure's you're born.
