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The Merry Harriers reel

Also known as The Cup Of Tea, The Grouse In The Bog, The Merrier Harriers, The Merry Harrier, Merry Harrier’s.

There are 41 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

The Merry Harriers appears in 6 other tune collections.

The Merry Harriers has been added to 18 tune sets.

The Merry Harriers has been added to 167 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Two settings

1
X: 1
T: The Merry Harriers
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:gfg|eA~A2 eAgA|eA~A2 BGBd|eA~A2 eg~g2|abge d:|
|:cBc|dg~g2 bg~g2|dggd BGBc|dggf gabg|abge d:|
2
X: 2
T: The Merry Harriers
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
eA A2 egfg|eA A2 BGBd|eA A2 efge|afge dgfg|
eA A2 egfg|eA A2 BGBd|eA A2 efge|afge d2 Bc||
dg g2 bg g2|dggd BGBc|dg g2 afgb|afge dcBc|
dg g2 bg g2|dggd BGBc|dg g2 gabg|afge dgfg||

Three comments

There are a few different settings for this one. One of the O‘Neill’s settings stays in Ador for the 2nd part, but I find it too easy to lapse into something like “The Flowers Of Red Hill” halfway thru’ if I play this version. The version posted here is like the one Altan play, and although it is unusual to hear this tune played at sessions, I reckon it’s most likely that you’ll hear their version if people have learnt it off the CD (The Red Crow). The harmony of the whole tune is based on the fact that if you end each part on a chord of D, it is possible to be propelled either back into Ador, or on into Gmaj (or Emin) for the 2nd part. I prefer to back Emin for the 2nd part, but I think Altan do it in G. I’ve chosen to post this version because if you play the Ador 2nd part in a session then it’s likely that people will think you’re playing “The Fair-haired Lass” with the parts switched around, since that is the better-known reel.

Whoops, that B first bar 2nd line is meant to be B, not b.

Re: The Merry Harriers

i have heard this reel called peggy on the settle but most commonly known as the merry harriers…..think peggy on the settle is actually a different tune.