I don’t think I had even heard of Sarah Armstrong before last Saturday when Steve Eulberg suggested we play it at our Streetmosphere gig. He played it through once or twice and I joined in. The second time I played it was today for Fiddle Tune a Day. There’s nothing quite like living on the edge. 🙂
Steve and I played this at his Noontime Notes concert at the Oak Street Plaza in Oldtown Fort Collins.
An interesting thing I came across while looking for information about this tune is that Todd Clewell is doing a recording project of tunes by Sarah Armstrong.
Sarah Armstrong according to Fiddler’s Companion
SARAH ARMSTRONG. Old-Time, Breakdown. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. The tune was collected from Derry, Pennsylvania, fiddler Sarah Armstrong in November, 1943, by Prof. Samuel Bayard, and appears as an untitled tune in his book Hill Country Tunes (1946, No. 33). It was given the title “Sarah Armstrong” in modern times when it gained some currency among “revival” fiddlers. Source for notated version: Greg Canote [Silberberg]. Silberberg (93 Fiddle Tunes I Didn’t Learn at the Tractor Tavern), 2004; pg. 38.
Hi Vi…I really enjoy your music and listen/watch every day. You are a great fiddler. I’ve been playing about 8 years, after playing classical guitar, celtic banjo, and mandolin for many years, i’m 74.
The tune you played today,’Sarah Armstrong’, which I also play is called ‘Old Reel’ by Sarah Armstrong, who was a fiddler, since she was 5 yrs old. She lived in Westmoreland County, PA. In 1943 ,Samuel Preston Bayard found his way to Sarah’s and transcribed many tunes that Sarah played. In 1944 he published a book “Hill County Tunes”. The sheet music for all those PA tunes is on the Internet. Log into http://www.nettally.com/fiddler/sara_armstrong.pdf . I downloaded the sheet music, which also includes information that Sarah Armstrong offered when she was interviewed in 1943. Included are many good tunes like “Waltzing With The One I Love’, “Maggots in the Sheep Hide”, “The Blackbird”, etc.
There is a cd available of Sarah Armstrong’s tunes, played by Todd Clewell, and can be purchased on line.
I discovered Sarah’s music while browsing on-line a few years ago. Since then I’ve noticed other people know of her also.
Keep up the good work
Len
Thanks for the extra information, Len. I really apprecaite it!
Vi
Lovely musical performance !
Old Time strikes again. 🙂