The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #47167   Message #702262
Posted By: Jim Krause
01-May-02 - 03:02 PM
Thread Name: Help: Fife Tunes from James Hulbert
Subject: Fife Tunes from James Hulbert
James Hulbert was a music publisher in Massachusetts in the early 19th century. He published a collection of fife music called The Complete Fifer's Museum in about 1807 or thereabouts.

In his arrangement of Reveille, I have identified all but two of the tunes. The ones I have identified are:

So, any of you fifers out there in Mudcatville there are two tunes left to identify. This isn't a test, or a contest. This is a straight-up research question.

The first tune appears to be in the key of A minor. James Hulbert conveniently left out the key signature. It is a jig which has the usual two strain melody of eight bars each having repeats. It might be a really, really bad arrangement of The Swallowtail Jig. I'm not certain.

The second tune is in the key of G. It has a two strain melody of four bars each with repeats. It is too short to be a contradance tune, properly speaking. I have not been able to find either of these tunes in any of the other fife books I have. I have copies of Longman & Broderip (1780), Cushing (1805) and Goulding (1790). I have also seen a copy of C.F. Weideman (1780) and these two tunes weren't there, either.

I'd appreciate any assistance from the fifers if there are any here.
Jim