Yigal Zan Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @11:41:47 AM

Thanks for the nice performance and bringing this tune to our attention. Here we'v been playing the Henry Reed's, or the Hollow Rock String Band's, and the Miles Krassen's versions of Richmond Cotillion. I believe Miles got his either from Frank George, Glen Smith, or the other old time fiddlers he worked with.

JanetB Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @1:22:52 PM

Thanks, Yigal. That's interesting information about your sources. It must be an old piece to have traveled and been altered as much as it has.

Yigal Zan Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @2:03:18 PM

How about the question as to why the name identifies the tune as Polka? In addition to other, more difficult to discuss, features, the fact that Ed Haley repeats the first part twice, while the second part only once, indicates the tune is a Cotillion. (I hope I am not erring, I listened to Ed Haley's rendition only once.)

JanetB Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @2:49:45 PM

It's said in one source that a cotillion has an AABACAA structure. Da Costa Woltz's Richmond Cotillion appears to be AABB, as does Ed Haley's Green Mt. Polka. It's a puzzle still.

Yigal Zan Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @6:48:54 PM

Yes, I erred. I just finished transcribing the first two cycles of Ed Haley's rendition (Green Mountain Polka). He plays each part twice with two different endings. Further, the pitch of the clip indicates a tune alternating between C and G major.

jack_beuthin Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @7:00:11 PM

I started down this rabbit hole when I started researching for TOTW. Why "cotillion," why "polka?" The more I dug, the deeper the hole became. I decided just to not go there in my presentation. The multitude of names was crazy enough. John Burke said in his clawhammer tab book that the hallmark of a cotillion is to go back and forth between two keys. Is that so?

JanetB Says:
Sunday, April 24, 2016 @8:31:55 PM

After looking at BHO and Fiddle Hangout I can only find three titles that have "Cotillion" in them. Apparently that dance style preceded square dances. It would be a good question to pose in your TOTW, Jack. I'll keep hunting for interesting tidbits of information....

jack_beuthin Says:
Monday, April 25, 2016 @5:38:06 AM

Well now I'm wondering if "Richmond Cotillion" refers not to the type of tune/dance, but to a cotillion ball for presenting of debutantes. Hmmm? Presumably, Richmond would be Richmond, Virginia. You're right Janet, I should put these questions over to TOTW and see what turns up. I''ll try to get to that today.