Annotation:Petersburg Ladies

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X:1 T:Petersburg Ladies M:2/4 L:1/8 R:reel B:George P. Knauff – Virginia Reels, vol. II (Baltimore, 1839) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D (f/g/)|(a/f/b/a/) (g/f/g/e/)|(d/c/d/B/) AF/A/|G/B/B F/A/A|{F}(E/D/E/F/) E f/g/| (a/f/b/a/) (g/f/g/e/)|(d/c/d/B/) AF/A/|B/G/B/d/ (c/A/c/e/)|(d/A/f/A/) c:| |:A/G/|(F/A/f/e/) (d/B/A/G/)|(F/A/d/e/) (d/c/B/A/)|(B/G/B/d/) (c/A/c/e/)|(d/A/b/a/) (g/f/e/d/)| (B/G/B/d/) (c/A/c/e/)|(d/A/b/a/) (g/f/e/d)|(B/G/B/d/) (c/A/c/e/)|d/A/f/A/ d:| |:f/g/|(a/f/b/a/) (g/f/g/e/)|(d/c/d/B/) A f/a/|(g/b/b/g/) (f/a/a/f/)|{f}(e/d/e/f/) ef/g/| (a/f/b/a/) (g/f/g/e)|(d/c/d/B/) A f/a/|(b/g/d'/b/) (c'/a/e'/c'/)|{e'}(c'/c'/d'/e'/) c':||

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PETERSBURG LADIES. American, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The title refers to the women of Petersburg, Virginia, now a suburb of Richmond. The reel was first printed in George P. Knauff's Virginia Reels, volume II [1] (Baltimore, 1839, p. 3), and enjoyed some popularity as evidenced by its reprinting in a few tune books, such as Volume Second of the Home Circle (1863, published by Oliver Ditson & Co.) and Blume's Collection of Popular Melodies (1864, New York).

Petersburg, Virginia, c. 1860's

Chris Goertzen, in his book George P. Knauff's Virginia Reels and the History of American Fiddling (2017, pp. 58-59) explains that Petersburg was, at the time of Knauff's publication, Virginia's third-largest city with a population of 8,300 people in the 1830 census. Goertzen points out the Petersburg was located at the fall line of the Appomattox River, and the most efficient shipping port for Knauff's musical instrument (primarily pianos) trade located in Farmville. He also sees a balancing juxtaposition of Knauff's tune titles "Richmond Blues" (a militia group) and "Petesburg Ladies" in the pamphlet.

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