V. Betsy Ross PROGRAM NOTES
Ev'ry heart beats true 'neath the Red, White and Blue
The line above is from a song by George M. Cohan, You're a Grand Old Flag (1906). The portrait of Betsy Ross was Lois's suggestion, since the piccolo has a tone quality that is similar to the fife. The movement contains many snippets from fife and drum tunes, and a few old patriotic songs, including La Belle Catherine, Battle Cry of Freedom, Reveille, Crown Point, Yankee Doodle, and You're a Grand Old Flag.
Each movement or portrait has a unique style. The challenge for the performer is to create a different scene or coloration of sound to depict the various characters. After the tranquility and crystalline clarity of the Franklin movement, Betsy Ross is rustic and energetic, invoking a patriotic spirit. Folio takes snippets of fife and drum selections from the Revolution along with “Reveille,” “Battle Cry of Freedom” and “Rally Round the Flag,” and crafts them together in an intriguing and sometimes humorous way.
Cynthia Folio’s Thoughts
Email from Cynthia to Lois: “This one is a definite final movement. I had fun writing Betsy (maybe too much fun). I've labeled the tunes I quoted (mostly fife & drum, but some popular). Some of them post-date Betsy Ross, but I thought they were appropriate. I especially like the quote from "You're a Grand Old Flag!”
The piano opens with a drum-roll and the piccolo launches into a Revolutionary war tune that we now call “La Belle Catherine.” At the second rehearsal I performed the opening section imitating a traditional fife. Both Cynthia and Matt approved.
To imitate the fife in “La Belle Catherine” I started playing on an unfocused and slightly rolled-out C in measure five to bring the pitch up, then I put the left first finger down on all the Ds while rolling in on D, E and F to bring the pitch down, giving it an old-world quality. I play the upper register D as a harmonic by overblowing G, and the C by overblowing an F.
Have fun experimenting with other ways of playing this opening; you’ll need to go back to playing normally at measure 15. Make the subito pp in measure 32 as soft as possible. Crescendo molto to measure 52 to draw attention to the softer notes of “Yankee Doodle.” If done well the audience will be laughing or cheering by “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
Twelve years after the premiere of Philadelphia Portraits I think about how my knowledge of fife playing has grown. A few of my adult students and I are joining together in time to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary celebration of Independence in 2026 as the new Philly Fife and Drum company. We will be performing Betsy Ross’ Yankee Doodle, La Belle Catherine and Crown Point along with a number of other Revolutionary War tunes.
As I finish writing these performance notes, I continue to be inspired by the history of this great city and, more importantly, the great personalities that have called Philadelphia their home.
Jul 15, 2011, email from Cynthia to Lois: “It's been a real journey for me and I think I'm almost finished!
Thanks for coming along …
Cynthia”