Archie Menzies Reel
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Mandolin Tablature
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Archie Menzies Reel", also known as "The Bells of St. Louis" is a Scottish, Canadian and<br> New England reel in F Major (most versions) or D Major (Bégin, Bohrer/Kibler).<br> The parts are played AB (Hunter, Lowe) or AABB (most versions).<br> In Canada it is known in Ontario, Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island.<br> It was composed by Scottish musician and dancing master John Lowe, father of the Joseph<br> Lowe who published a collection in 1840.<br> Menzies was originally a Norman name, introduced into Scotland in the half-century after<br> the conquest of England by William the Conqueror; in Scotland it was pronounced 'Minghees'.<br> Lowe may have composed his tune in honor of Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), a Perthshire<br> doctor/surgeon who gained fame as the naturalist attached to a Royal Navy expedition to<br> explore the west coast of America. More likely, the title honors Archibald Menzies,<br> born in Dull, Perthshire, about 1806. Menzies earned a reputation as one of the best<br> strathspey and reel players of his day, taking many prizes at competitions. He played at<br> the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, for several years until his death 1856.<br> The reel is a very popular tune among Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, fiddlers and has been<br> frequently recorded. Perlman (1996) notes that Prince Edward Island fiddlers often play<br> the ‘b’ flat notes almost natural at several points in the tune.<br> It was printed in Bégin's Fiddle Music in the Ottawa Valley: Dawson Girdwood (1985),<br> (appears as “Archie Menzies Hornpipe”),<br> Bohrer's Vic Kibler: Adirondack Fiddler (1992),<br> Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983),<br> Cranford's Jerry Holland's Collection of Fiddle Tunes (1995),<br> Hunter's Fiddle Music of Scotland (1988),<br> Joseph Lowe's Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 1 (1844-45) and<br> Royal Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 1 (1860),<br> Perlman's The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island (1996),<br> Phillips' Fiddle Case Tunebook: British Isles (1989) and<br> Welling's Welling's Hartford Tune Book (1976).<br> It was recorded by Sean Maguireon Music of Ireland,<br> Winston “Scotty” Fitzgerald on Classic Cuts,<br> Natalie MacMaster on Fit as a Fiddle (1993),<br> Brenda Stubbert on In Jig Time! (1995),<br> Graham Townsend on Le Violin/ The Fiddle and<br> Joseph Cormier on The Dances Down Home (1977).<br>
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