Bottom of the Punch Bowl (1) (The)

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Theme code Index	111H1H 1H135
Also known as
Composer/Core Source	Biography:James Oswald
Region	England, Scotland
Genre/Style	English, Scottish
Meter/Rhythm	Country Dance, Hornpipe/Clog, March/Marche
Key/Tonic of	D
Accidental	2 sharps
Mode	Ionian (Major)
Time signature	4/4
History
Structure	AABB
Editor/Compiler	William McGibbon
Book/Manuscript title	Book:Scots Tunes Book 3
Tune and/or Page number	p. 81
Year of publication/Date of MS	1762
Artist
Title of recording
Record label/Catalogue nr.
Year recorded
Media
Score ()

BOTTOM OF THE PUNCH BOWL [1], THE. Scottish, English, Irish; Country Dance, Scottish Measure, Reel, March or Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Composed by James Oswald, born in Dunfermline, Scotland, c. 1711, died in Knebworth, England, 1769, appearing in his Caledonian Pocket Companion, vol. 1 (London, 1760, p. 29). O'Farrell (c. 1805) lists the tune as Scotch. The tune meets the criteria for a Scottish measure and should more properly be characterized as such rather than the generic description 'country dance'. It appears in the Gillespie Manuscript of Perth (1768). Samuel Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife, 1981) believes it to be a tune a "special development" of the air "Boyne Water (1)."

Bottom of the Punch Bowl is also the name of a Scottish country dance frequently taught in country dancing schools of the 19th century. It was entered into several 18th century musicians' music manuscripts in America (presumably in support of the dance), including those of flute player Aaron Beck (1786), Jeremiah Brown (Seabrook, N.H., 1782), and Luther Kingsley (Mansfield, Conn., 1795). In Britain it appears in the music manuscript collection of fiddler John Fife, begun in 1780. Indications are that Fife was from Perthshire, and may have spent time at sea.

The word 'punch' derives from a Hindi word, panch, meaning 'five', because of its five ingredients: spirits, water, lemon-juice, sugar and spices. The word was first recorded in English in 1669.

Source for notated version: fiddler Ward Beebe (Seattle) [Songer].

Printed sources: Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 22, p. 45. Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; p. 140 (appears as "Webley Figure Eight," the name of a country dance set to the tune). Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 237. Huntington (William Litten's), 1977; p. 18. Jarman (Old Time Fiddlin' Tunes), No. or p. 24. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 2, 1954; p. 24. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; No. 8, p. 26. Lerwick (Kilted Fiddler), 1985; pg. 8. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 168. McGibbon (Scots Tunes, book III), 1762; p. 81. McGlashan (Collection of Scots Measures), 177?; p. 4. O'Farrell (Pocket Companion, vol. 1); c. 1805; p. 75. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; p. 35. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 144. Roche Collection, 1982; vol. III, p. 17, No. 232. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 37. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 148.

Recorded source: The Fish Family - "Fluke Hits."

X:1
T:Bottom of the Punch Bowl [1], The
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Country Dance
B:Stewart-Robertson - The Athole Collection  (1884)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:D
FE|D2D2d3e|d2D2 FGAF|E2E2 efgf|e2E2 FGAF|
D2D2 d3e|fedB d3A|B3F A3E|F2D2D2:|
|:de|fedB ABde|fedB d3e|A3B ABde|f2e2e2de|
fedB ABde|fedB d3A|BdBF ABAE|F2D2D2:||

X:2
T:Bottom of the Punch Bowl [1], The
M:C|
L:1/8
N:"Brisk"
S:McGibbon - Scots Tunes, book III, p. 81 (1762)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:D
FE | D2D2d3e | d2D2 FGAF | E2E2 efgf | e2E2 FGAF | 
D2D2 d3e | fedB d3A | B3FA3E | F2D2D2 :|
|: de | fedB ABde | fedB d3A | B3d ABde |Tf2e2e2de | 
fedB ABde | fedB d3A | BdBF ABAE | F2D2D2 :||