Annotation:14th of October (The)
X:1 T:Fourteen [sic] of October, The M:C L:1/8 B:Alexander Stuart – “Musick for Allan Ramsay’s Collection part 2” (Edinburgh, c. 1724, pp. 30-31) F: https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/rbc/id/2970 Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F V:1 FG|A3f cAGF|A2 (c>d) c2 GA|B3d cAGF|A2 (G>A) G2 FG| Acdf cAGF|A2 (f>g) f2 AB|cdcA (BA)(GF)|D2 F4:| |:cd|f>gag fdcA|c2f2f2 GA|Bcdf cAGF|A2G2G2 FG| AGAF DFGA|BABc dcde|fefg agac|d2f2f2:| V:2 clef = bass z2|F,2F,,2A,,2C,2|F,2C,2F,,2 z2|G,2G,,2A,,2B,,2|C,2G,,2C,,2z2| F,,2B,,2A,,2C,2|F,,C, A,,F, F,,2 z2|F,2A,2C2C,2|F,4 F,,2:| |:z2|F,2F,,2B,2A,2|F,G,A,G, F,C,B,,A,,|G,,2B,,2A,,2B,,2|C,2G,,2C,,2z2| F,2F,,2B,2A,2|G,2G,,2B,2G,2|A,2F,2C2C,2|B,,2F,2F,,2:|
14th/FOURTEENTH OF OCTOBER, THE. AKA - "Fourteen of October (The)." English, Air and Country Dance Tune (4/4 time). F Major (Stuart): G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Scottish poet Allan Ramsay used the melody as the indicated tune for his song "Upon hearing his picture was in Chole's breast", printed in his Tea Table Miscellany (1724, p. 311[1]]). The music was published in Alexander Stuart's Musick for Allan Ramsey's Collection of Scots Songs, vol. 2 (1724, pp. 30-31 ), James Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion, vol. 3 (1760, p. 9), and Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, vol. 2 (1788, p. 182). Robert Burns thought the title alluded to the legendary King Crispian, patron of the shoemakers' guild, whose feast day falls on the 14th of October on the old-style calendar (prior to the adoption of the same dating system throughout the British Isles when Crispin's Day moved to the 25th October) [1] . Crispin's Day was in times gone by celebrated with some pomp and circumstance including a parade of guild worthies and their entourage. An old proverb went:
On the fourteenth October,
Was ne'er a sutor sober. [a sutor is a 'shoemaker'.]
Ritson (Scottish Songs, 1794), however, wrote that the date was the birthday of the popular Scottish King James VII.
The melody was employed by John Buttery, a Lincolnshire fifer for the 37 Regiment (British) at the turn of the 19th century, for a military duty called 'Troop' also called 'The Assembly', a specific drum-beat that ordered the troops to repair to the place of rendezvous, or to their colors. Since it was the drum beat that was the signal, a variety of melodies could be played by fifers to accompany the action. It is entered into his large music manuscript collection that was eventually taken to Canada when he emigrated decades later.
Robert Burns used the tune for his song "Ye gods, was Strephon’s picture blest?"
- ↑ Crispin and Crispianus, two brothers, the sons of a king, according to the legend, were Christian apostles, who, in 303, came to France from Italy to preach the doctrine of Christianity. Having rendered themselves obnoxious, however, to the ruling powers, they were not allowed to preach, and were constrained to gain a livelihood by shoemaking. Crispin married his master's daughter, and is regarded as the king or patron saint of the shoemakers.