Annotation:Guizer's March

Back to Guizer's March

---

GUIZER'S MARCH, DA. Shetland, March (4/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Composed around 1909 by Gideon Stove (1875-1954), who as a young man was offered a chair with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, but who preferred to remain in the Shetlands "where he was a much respected musician and teacher" (Hunter, 1979). This march was written for the Up Helly Aa [1] procession which was at one time led by a fiddle band, although now by a brass band. A 'guizer' [2] is a masquerader ('disguser'), and costumes featured in the event. The tune is also used in Shetland for dancing a two-step.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Anderson & Georgeson (Da Mirrie Dancers), 1970; p. 29. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 344. Songer (Portland Collection, vol. 2), 2005; p. 81. Shetland Violinist: The Gideon Stove Tune Book, vol. 1.

Recorded sources: BM-91, Buddy MacMaster - "Glencoe Hall."

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]

---

Back to Guizer's March