For enthusiasts of early banjo

Speed the Plough

A selection from Knauff's Virginia Reel collection. I found the collection on Levy's tonight.

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Comment by Al Smitley on May 27, 2015 at 8:42am: Well, anyone who has over 1,000 YouTube postings (how many is it, now, Tim?) isn't likely to have them all in their repertoire. I'm also going by experience. I might watch something that Tim played on YouTube that I liked and when I inquire to see if he wants to play it, he sometimes acts like it's something gone from the past....if he remembers it at all. That's why I asked as I did.

Speed the Plough (usually in A) is a standard for fiddlers but not so much for banjoists.

Comment by Strumelia on May 27, 2015 at 8:53am: Al is it an Irish standard tune for fiddlers? I don't hear it too often in OT sessions. But we do live in different areas.

Comment by John Masciale on May 27, 2015 at 9:44am: It shows up in a lot of tune books from the period. We included this in some instrumental pieces that we put together for an event a couple of years ago. It is a real classic, and goes well as part of a set with other fiddle tunes of the time period. You may want to check out dance music as recorded and printed by a group called Spare Parts. Their book and CD on the civil war ballroom is excellent.

Comment by John Masciale on May 27, 2015 at 9:44am: Here is a link to their page.

http://www.bfv.com/spareparts/products.htm

Comment by Wes Merchant on May 27, 2015 at 10:26am: I always think of Howie Bursen's clawhammer version, when this tune comes up. I know he recorded it some years ago, I probably have it somewhere.

Comment by Al Smitley on May 27, 2015 at 10:41am: I always figured it came from the late 18th C. Various insights to it's origin here:

https://thesession.org/discussions/25144

Comment by Tim Twiss on May 27, 2015 at 10:48am: "passes into oblivion" means that I won't add it to my repertoire in any regular way.

Comment by Tim Twiss on May 27, 2015 at 12:00pm: I found it in Kerr's First also. I may read through it tomorrow. It's real close.

Comment by Strumelia on May 27, 2015 at 12:40pm: John, Spare Parts often plays for contra dances in my area...and I seem to dance to their music periodically at contras. In fact, I bought two of their books at a dance where they played last year in Lenox MA... the Civil War Ballroom and also their Waltz Book IV. If I didn't have this damn 4 letter word W.O.R.K., I'd be able to more time to the books and cds I have. Alas. =8-\

Comment by Tim Twiss on May 27, 2015 at 1:34pm: "Dance periodically"...ha ha, that was a joke right?

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