Annotation:Bologna's March
X:1 T:Bologna's March M:C L:1/8 Q:"Andante" R:March B:John Watlen - The Celebrated Circus Tunes (Edinburgh, 1791, p. 2) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:C G|c4 BcdB|c2 c>c c2d2|e4 defd|e2 e>e e2d2| cBcd {cd}e2 dc|BGBd g2d2|e/g/^f/g/ {f}ed/c/ B2 TA2|G2 GG G2:| |:g4 eceg|fgaf d4|f4 dBdf|efge c2 zG| c>ed>f e2 zd|e>gf>a g3 f|(3efg {b}ag/f/ e2d2|c2 c>c c3:|]
BOLOGNA'S MARCH. AKA and see "Favorite Slow March (A)," "Hornsby's March," "Staffordshire Militia March." Scottish (?), March (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune was first published by John Watlen in his Celebrated Circus Tunes (Edinburgh, 1791), and retained for his second edition of 1798. It was also reprinted in 1796 by Glasgow publisher James Aird, along with several other tunes from Watlen's collection, without credit to the source. The march was included in the music manuscript collections of John Rook (1840, Waverton, Cumbria) as "Favorite Slow March (A)," Joshua Gibbons (1823, Tealby, Lincolnshire) as "Hornsby's March," and James Winder (1835-41, Wyresdale, Lancashire) as "Staffordshire Militia March."
Many of Watlen's tunes were composed for (or, if existing melodies, attached to) performers at the circus. "Bologna's March" is associated with Italian clown performer, acrobat, rope dancer and strongman Pietro Bologna, active around 1786-1814, the headlining strong man for Astley's circus venues in London and Edinburgh. Bologna became famous for his ability to play the flute through each nostril and to play the drum while tightrope walking; a variant of his act showcased him carrying his entire family while playing a flute and drum[1]. He was engaged for a number of Harlequinades, ballets and other London stage vehicles when pantomime was called for. Pietro's son, John (Jack) Peter Bologna was an understudy to another member of Astley's circus troupe, the tightrope dancer Antonio Spinacuta, and had his own associated tune in Watlen's first collection, attributed to "Little Pierre & Sgnt. Spinacuta"[2]. John's siblings, Louis and Barbara, were also performers, while their mother, known only to us as 'Mrs. Pietro Bologna', was an acrobat, singer, and actress.
