#musicalhistory

[weemsbotts]

Britches or Breeches: Scottish Fiddle Tunes

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

“Leather breeches full of stitches, Old shoes and stockings on-- My wife she kicked me out of bed Because I had my breeches on.”

When the Scottish and Scots-Irish arrived in Virginia, they spread across the state attracted to the different environments and landscapes. While Dumfries certainly experienced an influx of Scottish, immigrants also went to the Appalachian frontier. What excites us is how the immigrants weaved their heritage, experiences, and memories of their homelands into our state. One way we can see the influence is by listening to folk music.

While Parson Weems famously fiddled, he was not the only Scotsman with the taste for this instrument. The fiddle arrived in North America during the 17th century and quickly became popular due to the lightweight and portable nature of the instrument along with its’ versatile tunes. The fiddle provided the perfect atmosphere for joviality, especially among those who faced long and arduous days laboring for basic daily needs, such as food, and the chance to participate in the local economy. Virginia even held fiddle contests in the early 18th century, colonial Americans even seeking experienced indentured and enslaved persons for their performances. Of course, fiddling evolved into its’ own unique style in different Virginia regions, incorporating cultural elements from free black persons, enslaved persons, Italian immigrants, and German immigrants to name a few. Dancing quickly became a part of the fiddle performance along with the banjo, the two instruments gaining popularity in the late 19th century.

(Reed, Henry, Bobbie Thompson, and Katherine B Olson. Henry Reed playing the fiddle, accompanied by Bobbie Thompson of the Hollow Rock String Band on guitar, at the Narrows Virginia Fiddlers Contest, summer. United States Narrows Virginia, 1967. Summer. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/afcreedp.17/)

Famous Virginia fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968), performed one musical piece that highlights the Scottish and American cultural influences. “Leather Britches” probably evolved from a late 16th century Scottish reel known as Lord MacDonald’s Reel, although Professor Samuel Bayard noted it was either related or connected to popular Irish tunes, such as “Breeches On (The)”, “Irish Lad (The),” “Irish Lad’s a Jolly Boy”, and “O the Breeches Full of Stitches.” Researcher and fiddler Lisa Ornstein collected scant evidence to support this citing a 1879 book referencing breeches and stitches. Once the tune arrived in America, it quickly spread into and past Virginia with interesting changes. First, the title. “Leather Breeches” could refer to the green snap beans dried in their pods. To dry them, people pierced the pod with a needle, stringing them to hang. The other possible meaning is the actual leather garment. Some musicians have noticed that playing the fiddle invokes a similar motion to sewing leather with a needle and thread. These different meanings have also influenced the different ballads. The following are examples of other verses, from both oral and print historical sources:

“Leather breeches, full of stitches, Mammy sewed the buttons on.”

“Leather Breeches full of stitches, Leather Breeches, Leather Breeches; Mammy cut 'em out an' M'daddy sewed an' sewed the stitches.”

Despite some ministers from the 18th century deeming the fiddle as a “devil’s box,” the fiddle and this tune remain popular to this day, especially in fiddling contests performed across America. As with folk tales and folklore, folk music helps retain collective memories and can document the shift in people’s ideologies and tastes. If you ever find yourself at a tavern with a fiddler, listen carefully to the words and melody as you enjoy the vibrant living lore of America.

Note: Ready for more folklore? Join our virtual Weems-Botts Bibliophiles in April where we read short Arthurian Legends and discuss the rich historic and literary history behind them! Click here for your ticket to Camelot.

(Sources: The Library of Congress: Digital Collections: Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier: The Henry Reed Collection: Articles and Essays: The Historical and Cultural Significance of Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier, https://www.loc.gov/collections/henry-reed-fiddle-tunes/articles-and-essays/the-historical-and-cultural-significance-of-fiddle-tunes-of-the-old-frontier/; Olson, Ted. 2017. Scottish Culture: Scottish and Scots-Irish Music. The Crooked Road's Mountains of Music Homecoming: The Official Homecoming Guide. 32. http://mtnsofmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MOMH_ProgramGuide_FINAL-lowres.pdf; The Traditional Tune Archive: The Semantic Index of North American, British, and Irish: Leather Britches, https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Leather_Britches; National Park Service: Blue Ridge: The Fiddle; Craft Revival: Shaping Westwern North Carolina Past and Present, (Project of Hunter Library Digital Initiatives at Western Carolina University, Velde, Patrick. Instruments: Fiddle, https://www.wcu.edu/library/DigitalCollections/CraftRevival/crafts/fiddle.html)

[nurhanarman]

Maybe I am biased:) Aren't all musical instruments always beautiful? They're just as pretty as musical notation. Modern or historical, always beautiful... With thanks to the @gurdjieffensemble #musicalinstrument #keman #kamancheh #kamanche #musicalhistory #ջութակ #ջութակահար #violinhistory #violino #musicispower #music #musicistheanswer #muzykaklasyczna #muzyka #muzik #musicaclassica #klasikmüzik #klassischemusik #musique #musiqueclassique https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFuRdHnxF5/?igshid=ala6xvvox7rx

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

A Bach video for Russian speakers:

ТОП 6 интересных фактов: И.С. Бах | Best of Bach Johann Sebastian | ИСТОРИЯ МУЗЫКИ

I can only understand a word here or there. Someone should add English subtitles. 

[levraivoleur]

@musicalhistory commented  Lupin you useless bisexual

”Pansexual, actually.”

Surprisingly, he isn’t contesting the useless part. Maybe it’s because it’s true????

[kazikili-voyvoda]

important psa from me and rasputin <3

- hails

[mindshift-1]

Came across my "poor man's" copyright from back in 1999. Unfortunately my mom opened the envelope when we received it back at the house after mailing it to myself, thus voiding the mailing, but it is a nice piece of musical history that she placed in a safety deposit box for safe keeping so long ago. #thanksmom #thanksdad #mindshift1 #homebazerecords #thebeginnings #creatingbeatsandmelodythroughsound #poormancopyright #memories #musicislife #minidisc #remembering #musicalhistory (at Austin, Texas)

[hachi-mai-shita]

@musicalhistory liked for a starter!

What a trivial inconvenience.

He took a long, drawn out breath as his newest servant, a girl no less, stood before him. He was trying to stay calm, stay rational, but this was becoming increasingly difficult as all that painstaking work had led to this. A seemingly useless servant.

“And who exactly are you?”

His words were collected, calm even, but there was a clear undertone of displeasure to them. It wasn’t exactly the warmest of welcomes.

[jefferdenis123]

character design for suspense story. @jtsdantas #thisdayinhistory #michaeljackson #thriller #michaeljacksons #thrillermichael #theatre #royaltheatre #amazing #live #kingofpop #thrillerlive #musicalhistory #hits #pop #rock #soul #disco #iwantyouback #abc #canyoufeelit #coldwinterchallenge #bookstagram #instabook #xmasreading #bookaddict #booklover #denstørste #libro #book #giallo https://www.instagram.com/p/B81NvMWhGsK/?igshid=nzkdxmrseu8u

[crystallllines]

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A post shared by Krystaline Faithe (@kristalinochkaa)

#Deaf Poet Opal Gordon in @franciscabenitez’s #musicalhistory #historiamusical in the New/Now Exhibit at @nbmaa56. #newbritain #newbritainct #newbritainconnecticut #asl #connecticut #ct #franciscabenitez #newbritainmuseumofamericanart #nbmaa #signlanguage #poetry #art (at New Britain Museum of American Art)

[freedomcantbetaken-blog]

Moments (Closed)

@musicalhistory

With a grin of determination, Laurens flew atop his mount. The silver of his bayonet shining off the full moon. War, he felt like it was the only thing he was good for. Laurens lived for the battle, and died in it, and then relived it over and over again, not that he remembered exactly how many times. 

A grimace crossed his expression when he reached the female archer “Miss it probably isn’t a good idea for you to be in a such a blood bath, don’t you think?” he asked, his bayonet at the ready, his horse prancing with energy. 

[levraivoleur]

@musicalhistory commented Finally, something Lupin and the Scarlet Pimpernel can agree on.

“Eh bien, cela fait un changement.”

[modulatoruk]

@the_clash exhibition at @museumoflondon Musical history about of one of the most important records ever. #theclash #theclashuk #museumoflondon #london #londoncalling #musicalhistory #punk #punkrock #1979 (at Museum of London) https://www.instagram.com/p/B44346UjNPI/?igshid=h6ycztlk7z6s

[vladwonderershistorypodcast]

Composer of the Week: Jacobo da Bologna (1340-1386) was an Italian composer of the Trecento( period marking the 14th century Italian culture in all its forms). He was known for his madrigals noted for the fact that within them voices never crossed each other. His work was held in high regard in Italy especially in Florence, being conserved in the  Squarcialupi Codex, a large collection of music compositions owned by the Medici Family.  Song: Fenice fu' e vissi (Madrigale) Artist: La Reverdie Album: Jacopo da Bologna: Madrigali e cacce Licensed to YouTube by: [Merlin] IDOL Distribution (on behalf of Arcana)

[idoldragos]

musicalhistory replied to your post: sociallyanxiousgoddess replied to your post: ...

if someone makes a fate!washington i will die happy

My girlfriend had Washington as a muse for a while way back but I don’t think she was recived all that way and she ended up getting pushed back.

[antshellie]

If this comes to a town near you, do yourself a favor and go see it. #themilliondollarquartet #musicalhistory #sunrecords #elvispresley #johnnycash #carlperkins #jerryleelewis #thehippodrometheater https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXVWligkjO/?igshid=m8mgz06onn6r

[flamesofonethousandsuns]

@musicalhistory: Elizabeth Swann​ // x

“... So sleepy...” 

Was such a thing possible for a servant...? Apparently so, given that the pharaoh had been drifting between the land of reality and the land of dreams for at least three hours now. The thought of sleep had been tempting.. But had it not been for a certain purple haired pharaoh, he could have been resting properly a good while ago. 

By now, it was a struggle to even find a moment of peace, and Ozymandias could only pray that constant wandering would keep his mind occupied and his body away from the person responsible for his restless state. But... It seemed that he hadn’t been entirely alone, had he?

“... State your business, she-servant. I’ve no time for games.” Despite his demanding tone, the rider’s aura is calm enough to let the mysterious woman know of his current mood. While he wasn’t irritable, he didn’t have the correct air to be jesting just quite yet.. But he can’t help but grow slightly curious as to her attire, one that he isn’t fully familiar with. “I’ll permit an audience just this once... You’re no Egyptian, nor one from Camelot..” A questioning tone, and a quirked eyebrow... An odd one, she was. Perhaps a sailor of sorts? “Who are you?”