Fifth movement from Cynthia Folio’s Philadelphia Portraits

for piccolo and piano

BETSY ROSS PORTRAIT – NOTES BY LOIS BLISS HERBINE

“Ev’ry heart beats true ‘neath the Red, White and Blue” – George M. Cohan

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.

 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”

June 2025 Update on my foray into fife playing:

“Pinch me I can’t believe that I am doing this” was the thought going through my head as I took to the field for the recreation of the Revolutionary War Battle of Monmouth as their British fifer. I thought I was going as a spectator but then one of my fifers called me and told me to come in uniform. Drummer Lance helped me with where to go and what and when to play and young drummer Ian helped keep me boxed in position on my left as our unit marched, wheeled and did oblique stepping that I’ve not done before. My heart was pounding. I was right in the center of the excitement, with firings of rifles only three feet ahead of me, the canons to my left and the sights and smell of gunpowder all around. It was all I could do to stay lined up with the tall man in front of me, take large enough steps to keep up and keep my wits about me while playing my fife.

I snuck my phone out of my haversack for a quick photo before taking to the field just to prove that I really was doing this. There were maybe fifty men on our side. I think there were about hundred on the American side and the only women on the field besides me were two American fifers also dressed as men and the Pitcher women, one on each side, giving out cold water. It was advertised as the largest living history event in New Jersey. Fifer Steve said that PBS and Netflix were both there filming, so maybe I’ll get to relive it all again someday.