British Field March

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 Theme code Index    13b51H 7b7b47bL
 Also known as    British Field Marshal at New Orleans
 Composer/Core Source    
 Region    United States
 Genre/Style    Military, Old-Time
 Meter/Rhythm    March/Marche
 Key/Tonic of    A
 Accidental    NONE
 Mode    Aeolian (minor)
 Time signature    
 History    
 Structure    AABB
 Editor/Compiler    Biography:Stacy Phillips
 Book/Manuscript title    Book:Traditional American Fiddle Tunes vol. 2
 Tune and/or Page number    p. 26
 Year of publication/Date of MS    1995
 Artist    Biography:Chris Coe
 Title of recording    Wiser Fool (A)
 Record label/Catalogue nr.    Backshift BASH CD51
 Year recorded    2001
 Media    
 Score   ()   


BRITISH FIELD MARCH. American, March (4/4 time). A Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune is sourced to the repertoire of fifer Quince Dillon, who said it was a British field march from the War of 1812. A relative, William Dillon, was a soldier and fifer in the American Revolutionary War. Quince himself served in both the Mexican War and American Civil War, and was an accomplished fiddler as well. His unit, the 166th Virginia Militia, was eventually incorporated into the 59th Virginia Infantry, which along with other Confederate units, was captured at the Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina on February 8, 1862. An apocryphal story about a prison camp fiddle contest is told about Quince (see notes for "Camp Chase"). Stacy Phillips (1995) notes the tune should actually be played slower than a breakdown.

Source for notated version: Skip Gorman and Mark Jardine with the Deseret String Band [Phillips].

Printed source: Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 26.

Recorded sources: Backshift BASH CD51, Chris Coe – "A Wiser Fool" (2001).

X: 1
T:British Field March
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:90
S:As played by Hookes Law learned from Janet Kerr
O:Quincy Dillion - (Fifer in the American Civil War)
Z:Johnny Adams -Village Music Project
K:Am
AB cd e2 a2 | ga ge dB GB | AB cd e2 a2 | g2 ^f2 e4 | 
AB cd e2 a2 | ga ge dB GB | g2 ge dB AG | EGAB A4 :||:
AB (3cBA BcdB | G2 Bc dB (G2 | G3)B cB AG | EGAB A4 | 
AB (3cBA BcdB | G2 Bc dB G2 | g3 e dBAG |  EGAB A4 :||