Annotation:Halting March

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 HALTING MARCH. AKA - "Pikeman (The)," "Pikeman's March (The)," "Wexford Pikemen." Irish, March. A Dorian (Mallinson, Sullivan). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Tommy Gunn, County Fermanagh/Belfast fiddler and singer--"Tommy says that the tune dates from the 1798 rebellion when it was used for drilling pikemen. The checks in the tune are the point where they would thrust into the dummy enemy" [Boys of the Lough].  Source for notated version: Boys of the Lough flute player Cathal McConnell [Sullivan].  Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 128. Boys of the Lough, 1977; p. 5. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 2), 1974, No. 77 (appears as "Pikeman's March"). Carlin, 1977; p. 28. Mallinson (100 Enduring), 1995; No. 95, p. 40. Spandaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; p. 46. Sullivan (Session Tunes), vol. 3; No. 38, p. 15 (appears as "The Pikeman").  Recorded sources: Maggie's Music MM107, "Music in the Great Hall" (1992). Rounder 3006, Boys of the Lough- "Second Album" (1974).  See also listing at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

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