Annotation:Duchess of Brunswick (1) (The)

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 DUCHESS OF BRUNSWICK, THE. English, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABCD (Barnes): AABBCCDDEE (Keller). The Duchess for Brunswick was Princess Augusta Frederica (1737-1813), sister of George III, who, in 1764, married Charles, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The tune appears in the Aaron Thompson Manuscript (1777-1782), a book of fife tunes containing melodies, dance steps, songs and diary entries. Thompson was a fife-major in the 3rd New Jersey Regiment. "Duchess of Brunswick" also appears in the music manuscript copybook of fellow Continental Army soldier Captain George Bush. Kate Van Winkler Keller (Fiddle, Dance and Sing with George Bush) notes the similarity between Bush and Thompson's music and dance figures, and believes it is possible the both collected dances that may have been performed in the winter encampments at Morristown, New Jersey (1778-1780).  Source for notated version: the music manuscript of Captain George Bush (1753-1797), a fiddler and officer in the Continental army during the American Revolution [Keller].  Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes), 1986. Keller (Fiddle Tunes from the American Revolution), 1992; p. 13 (appears as "Dutchess of Brunswick").  Recorded sources: Gourd Music 110, Barry Phillips and Friends - "The World Turned Upside Down" (1992).

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