Sir Sidney Smith’s March (reel) on The Session

Also known as Handel’s Gavotte, Sidney Smith’s March, Sir Sidney Smith, Sir Sidney Smith’s, Sir Sidney Smith’s March (+ Variations), Sir Sidney Smiths March, Sir Sydney Smith’s March, Sir Sydney Smith’s March.

Ten comments

A lovely tune from Northumbria.

Whodunnit?

Do we know a composer?

I know one.
There’s a nice little story about Sid (Syd), under the tune title, on this page:
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/SIR.htm

Thanks for the link.

Sir William Sydney Smith, British Admiral 1764 - 1840 ~

"British admiral, born at Westminster; entered the navy at 12, became a captain after many gallant services at 18, was naval adviser to the king of Sweden and knighted, joined Lord Hood off Toulon and helped to burn the French fleet; was taken prisoner by the French in 1796, and after two years made his escape; forced Napoleon to raise the siege of Acre, and was wounded at Aboukir; was rewarded with a pension of £1000, and raised in the end to the rank of admiral (1764-1840). "

extract from "The Nuttall Encyclopaedia of General Knowledge"
~ edited by the Reverend James Wood, 1907

And here are a few more links for the curious ~

National Maritime Museum ~
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/nelson/viewObject.cfm?ID=PAD3506

Here’s a picture of the dude ~
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/nelson/viewRepro.cfm?reproID=PU3506&picture=1#content

The Napoleonic Guide
http://www.napoleonguide.com/
http://www.napoleonguide.com/sidsmith.htm

Instittuto Historico de Petropolis ~ the Brazilian connection
http://www.ihp.org.br/
http://www.ihp.org.br/docs/khll20030811VI.htm

Rice University ~ a bio and his papers ~
http://www.rice.edu/
http://www.rice.edu/fondren/woodson/mss/ms267.html

Once again chapter and verse from ceolachan.Thanks.

Hey Dafydd, you beat me to this march. I had it on the back burner considering submitting it. I sent out some music to a few others to give it a go and then forgot about it until you came along and added it here. I’ll have to come back and add my ways with it, or at least a few variations.

I hope you are well, drop me a line sometime…

a friend in the digital quagmire ~ ‘c’

“Sir Sydney Smith’s March” ~ other ways and a repeated B-part

Handel’s Gavotte?

I note SSS’s March aka Handel’s Gavotte - what’s it’s connection with Handel?

Sounds like…

Guess what, the 5th line; e2d2c2B2|e2d2c2B2|e2d2c2B2| is strongly reminiscent of this passage (0’42") of the B 52’s’s Rock Lobster:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UqKRGW6_rw (at 0’42")

play video

I wonder which came first?

Sir Sidney Smith’s March reel

Three settings