The Fighting 59th hornpipe

I learned this tune from a Harry Hibbs recording. I don’t know where it originated but someone requested it here a while ago. Incidently, this is also the audition tune for those wishing to compete in the 2007 Newfoundland Accordion Idol Competition held on Bell Island Newfoundland.

# Posted on April 14th 2007 by Chellam
https://thesession.org/discussions/13383

The 59th (2nd North Midland) Division
http://www.1914-1918.net/59div.htm

Summary history of the division: This 2nd-Line Territorial Division was formed in January 1915, although men were enlisted for the reserve units of the 1st-Line from September 1914 onwards. Men of the 1st-Line who did not undertake the imperial service obligation were transferred to these reserves. Early clothing and equipment for these units was haphazard; many had to train in civilian clothes, and it was only between November 1915 and March 1916 that proper equipment was received. Initially the Division had no currently-serving officers of the Regular Army, and only 12 former officers. From June 1915, the units of the Division supplied replacement drafts for the 1st-Line 46th Division. At the same time the ‘home service only’ men transferred to the provisional battalions. ~

Odd bits, missing bits, hopefully those things will find correction before the inevitable conversion to dots… I live in hope… 😏

http://www.bellisland.net/

http://www.thetowncryer.net/

1st Annual Accordion Idol

Where Is Newfoundland And Labrador’s
Best Accordion Player

Could it be you?

It’s all beginning at the Monsignor Bartlett Memorial Arena on Bell Island, Saturday, July 28, 2007 and continues on Lance Cove Beach on Sunday, July 29, 2007.

A weekend that promises to be filled with fabulous musical talent, vacationers, visitors and residents of Bell Island making this a TIME to remember.

If you attend the Klondike or Blueberry Festivals, you will want to attend this as well. Don’t be the one to say…I should have been part of the First Accordion Idol Contest.

Contestants will be judged by three official judges and the general public will have an opportunity to vote on final selections.

Accordion music plays a vital role within Newfoundland and Labrador and Harry Hibbs played a major part of that. A Harry Hibbs memorial trophy will be awarded to the Accordion Idol and a dance will follow the event.

Music provided by Wabana Sunrise & Friends

Tickets to attend the full weekend event are just $10.00 per person in advance and are available by calling 488.2177. A limited number of tickets are available.

Successful applicants will be required to pay a $20.00 entrance fee to play.

http://www.bellisland.net/lancecove/index.htm

http://www.bellisland.net/

Be sure to click on this and take the video tour of Bell Island:
(Click to take a video tour of Bell Island)
“Bell Island: The Belle of the Bay”

& music included… 😎

I made some corrections recommended by another member. Harry Hibbs recorded it without repeats. It could be a march but sounds more like a hornpipe to me. I hope this version is helpful to someone.

garyd, good try, but there are still problems, all to do with the B-part, a missing measure for one, and, if it were to repeat, the lack of incorporating the lead-ins, for example, if it ends as you have it, well, like the oroboros, the usual thing, a tune returns to the beginning to repeat itself. Your final measure, as given, and somewhere there is where I sense a missing measure, is 4 beats, full, so there’s no room to return to the lead-in for the A-part, or |: (3ABc | ~

Here’s a go over of your B-part transcription ~

You’ve cut off the lead-in ~ dc |:
That could work since you have a full eight mesaures between your repeats ~
|: ~ :|
~ except when the tune, as they generally do, repeats, returning to the A-part which begins ~
|: (3ABc |
Why? Here’s your final measure ~ | (3ABc (3dAF E2 D2 :|
All four beats are filled. One way to cure this would be to add a second ending that only fills 3 beats of the 4/4 tune, so that there’s room for the
|: (3ABc | ~ (= 1 beat)
Another possible way to deal with this would be to incorporate that lead-in ~
|: dc |
~ ideally you need a final measure of 3 beats not 4, whether it repeats or not…

However, as mentioned, something is wrong down there toward the end of the B-part anyway, a whole measure seems to be missing… Your A-part = the usual 8 bars, but your B-part = 7… I’m not saying that is impossible, far from it, but not typical of the music from that part of the world, or in general, and it definitely sounds like something is amiss, doesn’t make sense…

Maybe someone will be able to chase up a complete tune? 😏

Correcting myself ~ 😏
“ ~ since you have a full ‘seven’ measures ~ ” (1 missing?!)

Here’s hoping you’ll add some of that news you’ve just emailed me, about this being a ‘crooked’ tune, meaning the 7 measure, in the fashion of Newfoundland fiddlers Emile Benoit (Acadian) and Rufus Guinchard, as you’ve told me… I’m more familiar with the ‘straight’ tunes dance music wise, but it has been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of the island and the misery of giving blood to the bugs of Newfoundland, a beautiful and precious part of the world…

Emile Benoit, 1913 - 1992
http://www.ambermusic.ca/artist_emile.htm
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/benoit.html

Rufus Guinchard, 1899 - 1990
http://www.pigeoninlet.com/rufus.htm
& with a video clip ~
http://www.snn-rdr.ca/snn/old/june2000/june2000/guinchard.html

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/arts/emile_rufus.html

Volume 1 - The Music of Rufus Guinchard & Emile Benoit"

Pigeon Inlet Enterprises
http://www.pigeoninlet.com/
http://www.pigeoninlet.com/collect.htm

“This book is the first of its kind in Newfoundland & Labrador, containing musical notation to over 250 fiddle tunes learned from master fiddlers Rufus Guinchard and Emile Benoit. Most of these tunes are unique to Newfoundland and many have been recorded by well known music groups : Figgy Duff, The Wonderful Grand Band, The Plankerdown Band, The Irish Descendants, Kelly Russell & The Planks, etc. Also included is an introduction by Kelly plus biography on both fiddlers and a discussion of their repertoire and playing style. This work represents approximately half of the fiddle music collected by Kelly Russell over the past 25 years. Volume 2 is also now available, containing tunes from 25 other fiddlers around the Province including several fiddlers from Labrador.”

…I originally requested this tune.
For a while there I felt as if nobody else had even heard of it!
Much appreciate your efforts on submitting and sorting out this tune.

http://www.bellisland.net/lancecove/index.htm

Click on ~ Listen To “Fighting 59”

Sorry garyd, now I have the recording, but this transcription doesn’t go anywhere near doing justice to the craic. This is a fun little number, and if anything, more of a march. I may consider getting my hand slapped and the entry deleted by resubmitting this for further consideration. Yes, you were right about the measures, and no repeats, but this is a lot more fun than it shows here… What a kick! 😎

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on June 27th 2007 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7414