Annotation:Old Soldier (1) (The)

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OLD SOLDIER [1], THE. AKA and see "Poor Old Soldier" (Pa.), "Poor Old Robinson Crusoe," "Rogue's March (1) (The)." American, March (6/8 time) or Jig. USA, southwestern Pa. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The name given above comes from a rhyme associated with the tune which begins "Poor old soldier...", though Bayard did not hear it sung in Pennsylvania. As "The Rogue's March" the tune has been, since 1750, the melody to which miscreants were drummed out of the British Army. In America it has often been included in fife instructors as one of the regular "camp duty" melodies. Bayard (1981) says many of these camp duty airs entered traditional fife and fiddle repertory in Pennsylvania.

Source for notated version: fiddler Steffy (southwestern Pa., 1949) [Bayard].

Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 449B, p. 429.

Recorded sources:




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