When I think of Saint Anne’s Reel, the first person I think of is Tony Rothrock. Tony is a great Guitarist, Mandolinist, and instrument repair guy in southwest Indiana. Tony founded the Indiana State Picking and Fiddling Championships, which I had the opportunity to run with for a few years as well. Tony really is one of the most kind-hearted people you will ever meet. Anyway, Tony really likes this tune and does a great job playing it.

I’m playing it here with the clan that hang out at Mulligan’s Pub in Fort Collins for an Irish Session every Wednesday night. Jim is playing the Bohdran. He didn’t make it into my video introduction because he showed up just as we were about to play the tune.

Saint Anne’s Reel According to the Fiddler’s Companion

ST(E). ANNE’S REEL. AKA – “St. Agathe.” AKA and see “La Reel de la Baie Ste. Anne.” Canadian (originally), American, Irish; Reel and Breakdown. Canada; Québec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Reiner & Anick, Silberberg): AABB (Begin, Brody, Cranford/Holland, Jarman, Mallinson, Martin & Hughes, Miller & Perron, O’Neill, Perlman, Sweet, Taylor): AA’BB’ (Phillips). According to Anne Lederman (in her article on “Fiddling” in theEncyclopedia of Music in Canada, 1992), tune was first recorded by Québec fiddler Joseph Allard as “Reel de Ste Anne”—which became popular in English-speaking Canada as “St. Anne’s Reel.” While this is not proof that “St. Anne’s” origins are French-Canadian (as Allard spend much of his youth in upper New England, where he played in fiddle contests, and presumably came into contact with regional musicians), it is suggestive. There are at least two bays by this name in eastern Canada, as the French alternate title above would suggest, though it is not known if those features explain the origin of the tune’s title. There is a French community called Baie Sainte Anne, on St. Anne’s Bay, near the mouth of Mirimichi Bay, New Bruswick. “St. Anne’s” was popularised by Radio and TV fiddler Don Messer (who had the title as “Sainte Agathe” in his 1948 Way Down East collection), and has been assimilated into several North American and British Isles traditions and remains a popular staple of fiddlers’ jam sessions. When asked to play a Canadian tune, for example, American fiddlers generally will play “St. Anne’s” first. It was in the repertoire of Cyril Stinnett, who epitomized the “North Missouri Hornpipe Style” of Mid-West fiddling, though it soon became a popular staple of most Missouri fiddlers. It was perhaps from listening to Canadian radio broadcasts in the hey-day of the big AM band stations, which could be heard clearly in the northern part of the state, or it may have been brought back by contest fiddlers in the 1960’s who attended the renowned contests in Weiser, Idaho, and in Canada. Perlman (1996) similarly states the tune entered Prince Edward Island tradition from radio broadcasts from Québec, but that it has elaborated (especially in western PEI) over the years to suit the rhythms of the local step-dancing. Irish musicians have frequently recorded the melody as well. The earliest printing of “St. Anne’s” appears to be in the Jarman collections of the 1930’s and 1940’s, where arrangement is credited to John Burt with a copyright date of 1937. Mark Wilson says its popularity in the United States dates from the 1950’s after it was recorded by Nashville fiddlers such as Tommy Jackson. The tune has some affinity to older reels, including two printed by O’Neill in his Waifs & Strays of Gaelic Melody, “The Factory Lass” (249) and “The Home Made Reel” (250). There is a similarity in the first part to “The Skylark [1],” composed by James Morrison.

Today, I was in the mood for something a little bit fast and a little bit old timey. I played a little of the basic melody before fiddling around with it.

This song takes me back to sitting in the Lunch Room (Warm Up Room for the National Old Time Fiddle Contest) at the Weiser, ID High School. Often when you were sitting there, you would find yourself in the middle of a Jam Session by LEGENDS. At this moment, Dick Barrett and Texas Shorty were fiddling, and they started playing Soldier’s Joy. They played it for about 5 minutes, and really played the heck out of it, really sweet stuff. Shorty leaned over to me after all that great playing and said, “Do you remember what that song’s called?”

The  truth be told, I have those moments all the time, where I know the melody to a tune, I know I have played it before, and I have no trouble playing it, but I can’t remember for the life of me what it’s name is. In this case, I can, and I hope you enjoy Soldier’s Joy.

Soldier’s Joy according to Wikipedia

“Soldier’s Joy” is a fiddle tune, classified as a reel or country dance. It is popular in the American fiddle canon, in which it is touted as “an American classic” but traces its origin to Scottish fiddling traditions.  and Irish fiddle traditions. It has been played in Scotland for over 200 years, and Robert Burns used it for the first song of his cantata ‘The Jolly Beggars’. According to documentation at the United States Library of Congress, it is “one of the oldest and most widely distributed tunes” and is rated in the top ten most-played Old Time Fiddle tune. According to the Illinois Humanities Center, the tune dates as early as the 1760s. In spite of its upbeat tempo and catchy melody, the term “soldier’s joy” has a much darker meaning than is portrayed by the tune. This term eventually came to refer to the combination of whiskey, beer, and morphine used by Civil War soldiers.

Like many pure tunes with ancient pedigree, the melody of Soldier’s Joy has been used as a basis for construction of songs, which, unlike pure tunes, have lyrics. Robert Burns wrote lyrics for the tune in which a dismembered, homeless veteran sarcastically recounts his delight with battle.Melody as basis for song

Civil War era and post-bellum cultural references

According to the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC), the tune came to represent substance abuse during the Civil War. This is corroborated in concurring secondary sources.

Gimme some of that Soldier’s Joy, you know what I mean

I don’t want to hurt no more my leg is turnin’ green

The IHIC version is as follows:
Twenty-five cents for whiskey, twenty-five cents for beer

Twenty-five cents for morphine, get me out of here.

Chorus: I’m my momma’s pride and joy

I’m my momma’s pride and joy

I’m my momma’s pride and joy

Sing you a song called the soldier’s joy.

Country

Twenty five cents for whiskey, 25 cents for beer

Twenty five cents for morphine get me out of here

cho: I’m my momma’s pride and joy (3X)

Sing you a song called the soldier’s joy

Grasshopper sitting on a sweet potato vine (3X)

Along come a chicken and he’s say your mine.

I’m gonna get you there don’t you want to go (3X)

All for the soldier’s joy

Chicken in a bread pan scratching that dough

Granny does your dog bite no child no…

All for the soldier’s joy

Soldier’s Joy according to the Fiddler’s Companion

SOLDIER’S JOY [1] (Lutgair An Sigeadoir/t-Saigdiura). AKA and see “French Four” [2], “I Am My Mamma’s Darlin’ Child,” “John White,” “The King’s Head,” “The King’s Hornpipe [1],” “(I) Love Somebody [1],” “Payday in the Army,”  ”Rock the Cradle Lucy.” Old‑Time, Bluegrass, American, Canadian, English, Irish, Scottish; Breakdown, Scottish Measure, Hornpipe, Reel, Country Dance and Morris Dance Tune. D Major (almost all versions): G Major (Bacon, Bayard‑Simmons). Standard or ADae (Edden Hammons) tunings. AB (Athole, Bayard‑Simmons, Shaw): AABB (most versions): ABCDE (Cooke {Ex. 54}). One of, if not the most popular fiddle tune in history, widely disseminated in North America and Europe in nearly every tradition; as Bronner (1987) perhaps understatedly remarks, it has enjoyed a “vigorous” life. There is quite a bit of speculation on just what the name ‘soldier’s joy’ refers to. Proffered thoughts seem to gravitate toward money and drugs. In support of the latter is the 1920’s vintage Georgia band the Skillet Lickers, who sang to the melody:

***

Well twenty-five cents for the morphine,

and fifteen cents for the beer.

Twenty-five cents for the old morphine

now carry me away from here.

***

Bayard (1981) dates it to “at least” the latter part of the 18th century, citing a version that has become standard in James Aird’s 1778 collection (vol. 1, No. 109) and Skillern’s 1780 collection (pg. 21). London publishers Longman and Broderip included it in their Entire New and Compleat Instructions for the Fife in 1785. Kate Van Winkler Keller (1992) says that the hornpipe “Soldier’s Joy” appeared with a song in London in about 1760. John Glen (1891) and Francis Collinson (1966) maintain the first appearance in print of this tune is in Joshua Campbell’s 1778 A Collection of the Newest and Best Reels and Minuets with improvements.  It has been attributed to Campbell himself but Collinson notes it is hardly likely as it is a well known folk dance tune in other countries of Europe. There is also a dance by the same name which is “one of the earliest dances recorded in England, but no date of origin has been established. It is still done in Girton Village as part of a festival dance. The tune is also well known in Ireland” (Linscott, 1939). The melody was used in North‑West England morris dance tradition for a polka step, and also is to be found in the Cotswold morris tradition where it appears as “The Morris Reel,” collected from the village of Headington, Oxfordshire. Scots national poet Robert Burns set some verses to the tune which were published in his Merry Muses of Caledonia. In the first song of Burns’ cantata, The Jolly Beggars, by the soldier, is to the tune of “Soldier’s Joy.” Early versions of “Soldier’s Joy” can be traced to a Scottish source as far back as 1781; variants can be found in Scandinavia, the French Alps, and Newfoundland (Linda Burman‑Hall, “Southern American Folk Fiddle Styles,” Ethnomusicology, vol. 19, #1, Jan. 1975). Jean-Paul Carton identifies a version of “Soldier’s Joy” in the tablature manuscript of French fiddler Pierre Martin, dating from around 1880. He says: “I find (Martin’s) version of Soldier’s Joy—simply referred to as Été [a type of dance], tab #132—surprisingly close to some of the American versions, including the bowing, which is indicated in the tab.” [Reference: Claude Ribouillault, Violon du Poitou, Répertoire de danses en tablatures (Cahier de Pierre Martin, vers 1880), UPCP-Métive, Les Cahiers du CERDO No. 1, CPCP-Métive: 2003].

***

Swedish folklorist Jonas Liljestrom writes to say that Danish folk dance researcher Per Sørensen has traced the history of “Soldier’s Joy” in Denmark and Scandinavia, and has written that it can be found in the third volume of Rutherford’s Compleat Collection of two hundred of the most Celebrated Country Dances, Both Old and New, published in Scotland circa 1756. Sørensen’s article includes a transcription of the Rutherford version, nearly identical to the usual melody, and indicates the “Soldier’s Joy” title was used by Rutherford and that it was published with dance directions. Liljestrom cites: Sørensen, Per: “Dansens og musikkens rødder 42: Hornfiffen fra Randers 2.del” (“The Roots of the dance and music part 42: The Randers Hornpipe part 2″), (Published in “Hjemstavnsliv” issue nr. 11, 1999. The magazine is issued by “Landsforeningen Danske Folkedansere” ["National Association of Danish Folk Dancers"] in association with Danske Folkedanseres Spillemandskreds  ["Danish Folkdancers' Association of Fiddlers"].)

***

In America the melody is ubiquitous. Early printings of the melody are in Benjamin and Joseph Carr’s Evening Amusement (Philadelphia, 1796), Joshua Cushing’s Fifer’s Companion (Salem, Mass., 1804) and Daniel Steele’s New and Compleat Preceptor for the Flute (Albany, 1815). It was cited as having commonly been played for country dances in Orange County, New York, in the 1930′s (Lettie Osborn, New York Folklore Quarterly), and Bronner (1987) confirms it was a popular piece at New York square dances in the early 20th century. The title appears in a repertoire list of Norway, Maine, fiddler Mellie Dunham (the elderly Dunahm {b. 1853} was Henry Ford’s champion fiddler in the late 1920′s). Musicologist Charles Wolfe (1982) says it was popular with Kentucky fiddlers. The tune was recorded for the Library of Congress by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, from the playing of Ozark Mountain fiddlers in the early 1940′s, and, for the same institution by Herbert Halpert in 1939 from the playing of Mississippi fiddlers John Hatcher, W.E. Claunch and Stephen B. Tucker. Fiddler and outdoorsman Leizime Brusoe (Rhinelander, Wisconsin), born in Canada around 1870, recorded it on 78 RPM under the title “French Four,” which was actually the name of the dance he usually played it for. “Soldier’s Joy” is one of ‘100 essential Missouri tunes’ listed by Missouri fiddler Charlie Walden. It was also recorded by legendary Galax fiddler Emmett Lundy, and is listed as one of the tunes played at a fiddlers’ convention at the Pike County Fairgrounds, Alabama (as recorded in the Troy Herald of July 6, 1926) {Cauthen, 1990}. Arizona fiddler Kenner C. Kartchner said: “Every fiddler plays this. Some not so good” (Shumway). Howe (c. 1867) and Burchenal (1918) print a New England contra dances of the same name with the tune. Tommy Jarrell, the influential fiddler from Mt. Airy, North Carolina, told Peter Anick in 1982 that it was a tune he learned in the early 1920′s when he first began learning the fiddle, at which time it was known as “I Love Somebody” in his region. Soon after it was known in Mt. Airy as “Soldier’s Joy” and, after World War II, as “Payday in the Army.” Another North Carolina fiddler, African-American Joe Thompson, played the tune in CFgd tuning. Gerald Milnes (1999, pg. 12) remarks that tune origins were of significant value to West Virginia musicians who often tried to trace tunes to original sources. It was the first tune learned by Randolph County, W.Va., fiddler Woody Simmons (b. 1911). Braxton County fiddler Melvin Wine (1909-1999), says Milnes, used family lore to attribute the tune to his great-grandfather, Smithy Wine, of Civil War era. Smithy, it seems, had been detained by the Confederates in Richmond under charges of aiding Union soldiers. Although imprisoned, his captors found out he was a fiddler and made him play for a dance, and Smithy later associated the tune with this incident, calling it “Soldier’s Joy.” For further information see Bayard’s (1944) extensive note on this tune and tune family under “The King’s Head.” During a Senate campaign in the 1960′s the piece was played to crowds by Albert Gore Sr., the fiddling father of the Vice President during the Clinton administration (Wolfe, 1997).

***

In England, the title appears in Henry Robson’s list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes (“The Northern Minstrel’s Budget”), which he published c. 1800. The novelist Thomas Hardy, himself an accordionist and fiddler, mentions the tune in his Far From the Madding Crowd:

***

‘Then,’ said the fiddler, ‘I’ll venture to name that the right

and proper thing is ‘The Soldier’s Joy’ ‑ there being a

gallant soldier married into the farm ‑ hey, my sonnies,

and gentlemen all?’ So the dance begins. As to the merits

of ‘The Soldier’s Joy’, there cannot be, and never were,

two options. It has been observed in the musical circles

of Weatherbury and its vacinity that this melody, at the

end of three‑quarters of an hour of thunderous footing,

still possesses more stimulative properties for the heel

and toe than the majority of other dances at their first opening.

***

At the turn into the 20th century the melody was in the repertoire of fiddler William Tilbury (who lived at Pitch Place, midway between Churt and Thursley, Surrey), the last of a family of village fiddlers who had learned his repertoire from an uncle, Fiddler Hammond (died c. 1870), who had taught him to play and who had been the village musician before him. The author of English Folk-Song and Dance concludes that “Soldier’s Joy” was enjoyed in the tradition of this southwest Surry village about 1870, and was one of a number of country dances which survived well into the second half of the 19th century (pg. 144).

***

Some of the lyrics which have been sung to the tune are:

***

Chicken in the bread tray scratchin’ out dough,

Granny will your dog bite? No, child, no.

Ladies to the center and gents to the bar,

Hold on you don’t go too far.

***

Grasshopper sittin on a sweet potato vine, (x3)

Along come a chicken and says she’s mine.

***

I’m a‑gonna get a drink, don’t you wanna go? (x3)

Hold on Soldier’s Joy.

***

Twenty‑five cents for the malteen,

Fifteen cents for the beer;

Twenty-five cents for the malteen,

I’m gonna take me away from here.

***

Love somebody, yes I do, (x3)

Love somebody but I won’t say who.

***

I am my mama’s darling child (x3)

And I don’t care for you.

***

Refrain

Dance all night, fiddle all day,

That’s a Soldier’s Joy.  (Kuntz)

***

The Holy Modal Rounders sang:

***

Bold General Washington and old Rochambeau

Buggering the hessians while the fire light’s aglow

Spending all their money, drinking all their pay

They’re never going to end the war this a way.

***

In Newfoundland, it is sometimes known as “John White” and sung accompanied by the fiddle or accordion:

***

Did you see, did you see, did you see John White?

Did you see, did you see, did you see John White?

Did you see, did you see, did you see John White?

He’s gone around the harbour for to stay all night.

He’s gone around the harbour for to get a dozen beer.

He’s gone around the harbour and he won’t be coming here.

He’s gone around the harbour for to get a cup of tea.

If you sees him will you tell him that I wants he?

***

I have judged a lot of fiddle contests, and one of my favorite characters to have met at a fiddle contest is J.C. Hounshell. I had the opportunity to judge the Grand Lake National Fiddling Championships with J.C. a few years back. After the contest, we went back to the Grand hotel with Gayle and LaRue Hopson and played some tunes. I had a great time learning (new to me) old fiddle tunes from J.C, and am so appreciative of having that chance.

Grain Valley Waltz is one of the tunes he played for me that night. I really love how old-timey it sounds, and the fact that it’s a Bb Waltz with the second part in G minor. I am thankful that I had the chance to learn this tune from J.C.

* NOTE: I erroneously wrote that JC had passed away, and have been gratefully corrected by Deena Bistadeau. Thanks, Deena. And, Sorry, JC. I’m glad to hear that you are doing well.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and if you are up to it, record your own version of it, and post it as a reply to my video…

As a side note, I have searched for this song on the Internet, and haven’t found another recording of it. I did find a reference to Grain Valley Missouri, so there is a decent chance that this tune references that location.

Announcing: 5 Dollar Fiddle Workshop – Fiddling for Violinists

Date/Time: Thursday September 29, 7:00PM

Location:

Magnolia Music
210 Magnolia St.
Fort Collins, CO

Topic: Fiddling for Violinists – Yes, Violinists can fiddle, and fiddlers can violin. The basics of fiddling will be covered, including how to start playing by ear, how to start improvising, and how to use sheet music as the recipe for a fiddle tune.

Teacher: Vi Wickam – Champion Fiddler

Admission is $5, and all proceeds after covering our costs will go to the Colorado Old Time Fiddlers Association.

It’s time to register for the 2011 Oklahoma State Picking & Fiddling
Championships, Oct. 7-9 at the Tulsa State Fair.

Anyone from anywhere may enter.

Go to www.okfiddlecontest.com to register and see photos of the prizes.

There’s a lot of exciting news for you contestants. The contests are bigger
and better than ever.

More prize money. More trophy buckles. More non-cash prizes. Rule changes
that we hope you’ll like.

How about this: If you were surprised last year that you had to buy a Fair
ticket in order to compete, well, this year you don’t! Also, you can order
tickets for family members for just $6 each (instead of $10 at the door).

It begins Friday night, Oct. 7, with the String Band contest. This will be
in a tent. The remaining days’ contests will be on the big indoor stage.
There will be a slate of celebrity judges. Each band will get a total of 15
minutes on stage. Prizes are $400, $300, $200, and $100.

Saturday it’s fiddling all day long. The Championship division pays the top
SEVEN finishers. There are now FOUR youth divisions: Junior (13-16), Jr Jr
(10-12), Youth (7-9), and Pee Wee (6 and under). Nobody has to move up to
the next division just for winning last year. Either you play in your age
division, or you play in the Championship division. Score sheets will be
viewable by all at the scoring table. Also, celebrity fiddler Jana Jae will
provide youth fiddlers with a performance evaluation to help them learn to
shine in the spotlight! ALL youth division winners will receive a trophy
buckle.

Remember, our contest is WEISER-CERTIFIED! Our winners are automatically
invited to the national championships in Weiser, Idaho in mid-June.

To accommodate the growing youth divisions, the Championship division will
not start until 6 p.m.!!!!

Sunday Oct. 9 is for mandolins, guitars, and banjos. The prizes are the same
as last year, but Firey Music in Sand Springs has also donated guitars for
the first- and second-place winners of the flatpicking contest, and gift
certificats for places three – five.

=========================================
Want to advertise in this year’s program? This year the welcome page is
written by *** Roy Clark *** !!!!

There’s still time to order a full-, half-, or quarter-page ad. Call Scott
Pendleton, 918-688-7318.

Also, very popular last year were “shout-out” ads. For $25 you can write a
classified ad wishing your fiddlers good luck! E-mail sp@isystant.com with
your ad wording.

It’s going to be a great year for live music at the Tulsa State Fair!

The 4th annual Strasburg Hometown Days Fiddle Contest will be held August 13th, 2011 at the Strasburg High School Gymnasium.

Fiddlers come one and all to compete in the Strasburg Hometown Days Fiddle Competition.  Grab your bow and come on out, prizes abound.  Hey we are not fiddling  around here,   this is a COTFA Colorado Old Time Fiddle Association Sanctioned event.   Prepare three selections one being a Waltz one a Hoedown  and then your favorite Old Timey song,  which cannot be a Waltz or Hoedown. Tunes may be played in any order. No trick fiddling allowed.  Four minutes allowed to play all selections.  $15 entry fee.  Waived for any resident of the I 70 corridor,  Watkins, Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail and surrounding areas.  Did I mentioned entry fee waived for COFTA members? Prize vary from age group from $5 for the lowest 5th place to $150 top prize.  Entry’s will be accepted up to one hour prior to event start.  So no excuses we need you to come strum your stuff!

Not ready to compete? Not a fiddler then pass this on to one you know.    Come on out and join the fun anyway.  Cheer on the young and old fiddlers.  The day is filled with food, music, a parade and lots of fun activities.

Hope to see you there.

Details are available in their flyer:

Strasburg Fiddle Contest 2011 (PDF)

Thanks to Ken McIntosh for sending me this info on an upcoming Scottish Fiddling Workshop:

VIOLINISTS/FIDDLERS…

You are cordially invited to attend an introductory

Scottish Fiddle Workshop

DATE: Saturday, October 22, 2011

TIME: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

PLACE: Kirk of the Bonnie Brae, 1201 South Steele Street (Steele and Arizona), Denver, CO 80210

COST: $15.00

Please make your check out to “Clan Mackintosh of North America” who is helping to sponsor the workshop. Many thanks to Constance and Robin Lucy, and Larry and Barbara Hay, for additional support.

Kids, teens and adults of all playing levels are welcome.

Some Scottish fiddling styles will be explained and demonstrated. Bring your fiddle if you would like to play some of the examples along with the presenters: Arlene Patterson and Loretta Thompson. Please bring a music stand.

You will receive some great educational materials.

You may win one of several nice door prizes!

Checks and attached registration forms must be received by October 15, 2011.

Mail both to: Ken McIntosh, 8989 W. 14th Avenue, #405-South, Lakewood, CO 80215.

Direct any questions to kenmcintosh@idcomm.com or 303-234-0469.

Alternatively, contact Arlene Patterson at trowie@juno.com or 303-776-9960, or Loretta Thompson at loretta@lorettasmusic.com or 303-781-6959.

Come join the fun!

Scottish FiddleWorkshop Flyer (PDF) |Scottish Fiddle Workshop Registration Form (PDF)

Here are the notes from our November fiddling workshop. We talked about starting out with playing simple slow notes in the background, and progressing to  rhythmic  accompaniment, licks, solos, and harmonies.

We also covered big picture approach issues, including playing like you mean it, not stepping on the soloist, playing with feeling, and listening for space. And, never take all of the space that’s available.

Playing Fiddle in a Band Workshop Notes (PDF)