Hi all, I have another tune I am searching for. At a teen Celtic music camp I went too one of the groups/bands played a tune they called the Beef Song. This is a really well known tune by a famous American composer. People called it the Beef song because it’s the background music for a beef commercial, and at the end of it the announcer person says ‘Beef it’s what for dinner’. If anyone knows the name of it, or where I could possible find the sheet music for it that would be great. I really like the sound of it but I have no clue how to find the music for it. I think it was also used in the winter Olympics opening ceremonies too. Hope that helps.
I was wondering what camp you went to. My best friend Emily was recently a counselor at a teen celtic camp in the California Bay Area. She and a few other people who ran the camp just released a cd called California Celt. Was this the same camp?
This was a popular fiddle tune long before Copeland got a hold of it. I think it was called Bonaparte’s Retreat. Terrific tune in both versions. Pretty tough on a whistle though…
Copeland did use Bonaparte’s Retreat somewhere as well as Arkansas Traveller and Miss McLeod’s Reel. I’m not sure why Bonaparte is difficult on a whistle. A friend and I recorded it for the first Citterns on Ice project with flute and bouzouki. That’s one of those things where people on a mailing list record music and a tape or CD is made of it. There are several different versions of Bonaparte that float around. Often fiddlers tune DDAD for tunes of that sort.
At one time I knew the source of Copeland’s version but I don’t remember now. Maybe it’s the same one that is in Frank Ford’s book of tunes.
Here’s a page which gives some information on Bonaparte’s retreat. Click on the version that says “transcription”. Alan Jabbour recorded Henry Reed’s version and it is available there. The transcription is in E rather than D. Reed was very old when he was recorded by Jabbour and sounds shaky on some of the tune.
hey all, thanks so much!!! I thought someone at camp had said Copland had used irish tunes for Rodeo.
Nick, it was the same camp. That’s cool that you know Emily. I talked to her a few times because it turns out she was an irish dancer, too. Did you go to the release concert for California Celt? I went and it was a blast!!! If you were there, I was in the group up front holding up the “We Love You” Sign.
Wow, that’s really neat. Yes, I was at the concert. You guys were hard to miss, that’s for sure… Were you with the group that went on stage and played their whistles? I was sitting with my family two rows behind you, and I was the one that suggested Brenda Stubbert’s for the encore. Anyway, that’s a really funny connection. Nice to meet you
That’s so cool you were at the concert. No, I didn’t go up on stage, but I know both of the grils who did. They are both really, really good. My friends and myself were acting pretty goofy Since we knew everyone preforming we decided to be the “rabid fan girls” Normally I’m not that crazy in real life. It’s great to meet you too.
