G'day again Mark,

Putting Craigilea and Waltzing Matilda (or Craigilea and the McPherson and Cowan versions of Waltzing Matilda) together (and of course there is the totally unrelated 'Queensland' or 'Buderim', version as well) could produce and interesting series of subtle changes.

This is why I put together the file (of which I will give you a MIDI and the sheet music) with Barr's 1805 original, Thomas Bulch's 1893 'quick march' arrangement, Christina McPherson's manuscript version of what she played for 'Banjo' Paterson and Marie Cowan's 1905 arrangement, done for Inglis Tea Company. As you hear each one in order, you see how the tune changed to the familiar modern version.

The Bold Fusilier is, I fear, just a Furphy. Nobody mentions it until around WWII, 2 whole generations after Waltzing Matilda was widely published. The chance that an obvious ancestor to such a popular song went unnoticed for that period, when weighed against the fact that it was remembered by families from soldier's tales of past wars - with the well known Australian propensity for parody - makes it extremely likely to be a war-time parody (WWI) by Aussie soldiers to stir the Poms ... or, just possibly, vice versa.

Your 5/4 (and 7/4) endeavours sound interesting (with only a hint of the old Chinese curse about "living in interesting times"). I know someone else who has done Tango arrangements of Streets of Forbes and The Ballad of 1891!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

I am Alison Cone's Partner (Tursachan).