Annotation:Strike the Colours
X:1 T:Strike the Colours M:3/4 L:1/8 B:Thompson’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 2 (London, 1765) Z:Transcribed and edited by Fynn Titford-Mock, 2007 Z:abc’s:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D D>D FED EFG|F>F AGF GAB|ABc def gec|dAG FGA GFE| D>D FED EFG|F>F AGF GAB|ABc def gec|dAG FGA D2:| |:afd AFD BGE|AFD EFG ABc|def ged cde|dAG FGA FED| D>D FED EFG|F>F AGF GAB|ABc def gec|dAG FGA D2:||
STRIKE THE COLOURS. English, Air (3/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. ‘Strike the colours’ = surrender the ship. The melody, transcribed in 3/4 time but effectively a slip-jig in 9/8 time, is unique to London publisher Charles and Samuel Thompson’s 1765 country dance collection.
