Annotation:New Duke of York's March
X:1 T:New Duke of York's March M:2/4 L:1/8 C:Shroeter R:March N:Perform'd in the Pantomime Death of Capt. Cook" B:John Watlen - The Celebrated Circus Tunes (Edinburgh, 1791, pp. 8-9) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D d2 d>d|d2e2|f2 f>f|f2g2|a2 a>a|afeg| f2 d>d|d2 z2|f^ga agf|{g}f2 e2|def fed|{e}d2c2| f^ga agf|{g}f2e2|def fed|{e}d2c2|a>e^g>d|a>e^g>d| a>ef>d|c2B2|A2 e>e|e2c2|d2 d>d|d2B2| cBc d>B|A2^G2|A2 A>A|a2 a>a|fa^g fed|c2 [^G2B2]| A2 a>a|[c2a2]z2:||:ac' (Tc'>b/2c'/4)|d'a a2|(=g>f/2g/4) ag|(gfed)| ac' (Tc'>b/2c'/4)|d'a a2|(ge)(fd)|.a.a.f.d|.A.a.e.c.|[A2a2]z2| d2 d>d|d2e2|f2 f>f|f2g2|a2 a>a|a>f eg| f2 d>d|[F2d2]z2|Bcd dcB|B2A2|GAB BAG|G2F2| bc'd' d'c'b|b2a2|gab bag|{a}g2f2|d'>ac'>g|d'>ac'>g| d'2 b>g|f2 e2| d2 a>a|a2f2|g2 g>g|g2e2|(3fef ge| d2c2|d2 dd|d'2 d'>d'|bd'c' bag|f2e2|d2 d'>d'|d'2 z2:|]
NEW DUKE OF YORK'S MARCH. AKA and see "Colonel McLean's March," "General Knox's March," "Slow March (1)." Scottish, English; March (2/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A note with the tune in John Watlen's Celebrated Circus Tunes (1791) indicates the piece was "Perform'd in the Pantomim Death of Capt. Cook." The popular stage production "Death of Captain Cook" was first performed at Covent Garden in 1789, and played on the public fascination with the South Seas. Scenes included "modes and manners of the Islanders making Love", "a View of the Sea and Ship Resolution", and the "Funeral Procession of Capt. Cook".
Watlen attributes the march to 'Schroeter', referring to the celebrated London pianist Johann Samuel Schroeter (ca. 1752–88). Schroeter was a German-born musician who came to England in the early 1770's with his musical family, and remained when the others left and rose to become Queen Charlotte's music master when J.C. Bach died in 1782. Not long afterward, however, he eloped with one of his students to Scotland; the affair being settled on condition that he give up his musical career in exchange for an ample annuity from the girl's family. Although kept to the bargain and gave up his public concert life, he did not give up music and maintained semi-private performances in the home of the Prince of Wales (later George IV), for which he was known not only for his extravagant technique, but for his ease and grace in execution.