Friday 7 June 2019
Tune of the Day: Steam Boat Quick Step
arranged for two flutes
Also known as “Uncle Jim” in Ontario, this tune is a staple of fiddling in that region. It was picked up by American contra dancers, and became associated with the dance Steamboat Quickstep, acquiring the name of the dance. The tune is however quite a bit older, and may have a Scottish or English provenance. North Yorkshire musician and miller Joshua Jackson entered it into his 1798 music manuscript collection under the title “The Minion”.
The present arrangement for two flutes is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in Philadelphia in 1833.