PRINCE OF ORANGE. English, Jig (6/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB’CC’. Gibbons originally set the tune in the key of ‘F’ major. Given the date of Gibbon’s manuscript, the title may honor William (1792-1849), Prince of Orange, who served on Wellington’s staff in Spain, and who at age 23 commanded the I Corps of Dutch-Belgian troops under Wellington at Waterloo. Unfortunately “Slender Billy” (as his troops called him), was inept as a soldier and was not popular with his men.
Additional notes Source for notated version : - the 1823-26 music mss of papermaker and musician Joshua Gibbons (1778-1871, of Tealby, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire Wolds) [Sumner].
Printed sources : - Sumner (Lincolnshire Collections, vol. 1: The Joshua Gibbons Manuscript), 1997; p. 71.
