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The Sunny Banks reel

Also known as Flowers Of Ballymote, The Flowers Of Ballymote Highland, The Flowers Of Ballymote, The Hills Of Lurriga, Ná Bruachanna Gréine, The Old Sunny Banks, The Sunny Banks Highland Fling, Top It Off, Tulla Favourite.

There are 42 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Cashmere Shawl (a few times), Dunphy’s (a few times), Green Grow The Rushes (a few times) and London Lasses (a few times).

The Sunny Banks has been added to 6 tune sets.

The Sunny Banks has been added to 219 tunebooks.

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Three settings

X: 1
T: The Sunny Banks
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B|:AFF2 d2cA|B/2c/2dAF G3B|AFF2 d2cA|1 B/2c/2dAF DEFB:|2 B/2c/2dAF D3e||
|:fded cAA2|fdef g2ag|fded cAA2|1 B/2c/2dAF D3e:|2 B/2c/2dAF DEFG||"Last" B/2c/2dAF D3||
X: 2
T: The Sunny Banks
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B|:A~F3 d2 cA|BdAF ~G3B|A~F3 d2 cA|1 (3Bcd AG FDDB:|2 (3Bcd AG GDDg||
|:fded cAAg|fdef g2 ag|fded cAed|1 (3Bcd AG FDDg:|2 (3Bcd AG FDDB||
B|AF (3FFF dFcA|(3Bcd AF GBAG|DFAF (3ddd AB|dBAG FDDB|
dB|A~F3 [d3D3] c|BdAF (3GAG FG|(3ABA FA [dD]BAF|GBAG FDDB|
B|A~F3 dAcA|BdAF GECE|DFAF d2 eg|fdAG FDDB|
g|fded cdAd|fdef g2 ag|fded cdAd|1 (3Bcd AG FDDg|
g|fded cAag|fd (3eef g2 ag|faed cAAF|GBAG FDDg|
# Added .
X: 3
T: The Sunny Banks
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
AF (3FFF d2 cA | BGAF GFGB | AF (3FFF dBcA | BGAF DEFG |
AF ~F2 d2 cA | BFAF (3GGG GB | AF ~F2 d2 cA | BFAF d3 ||
fded cA A2 | fdef gbag | (3fgf ed cA (3AAA | BFAF D3 e |
(3fff ed cA (3AAA | (3ffd ef g2 ag | fged cA ~A2 | BGAF DEFG ||
A>F ~F2 d2 c>A | B>FA>F d3 e ||
f>ge>d c>A ~A2 | B>GA>F D>EF>G ||

Six comments

Here is one of the simplest of reels but fun nevertheless. The challenge is to vary it in such a way as to avoid it sounding tedious.

This tune lends itself to variation, Here are a few ideas (unabashedly biased toward fiddle ‘cause that’s what I play).

T: The Sunny Banks
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
B|:A~F3 d2 cA|BdAF ~G3B|A~F3 d2 cA|1 (3Bcd AG FDDB:|2 (3Bcd AG GDDg||
|:fded cAAg|fdef g2 ag|fded cAed|1 (3Bcd AG FDDg:|2 (3Bcd AG FDDB||

Variations for the A part:

B|AF (3FFF dFcA|(3Bcd AF GBAG|DFAF (3ddd AB|dBAG FDDB|

dB|A~F3 [d3D3] c|BdAF (3GAG FG|(3ABA FA [dD]BAF|GBAG FDDB|

B|A~F3 dAcA|BdAF GECE|DFAF d2 eg|fdAG FDDB|


And for the B part:

g|fded cdAd|fdef g2 ag|fded cdAd|1 (3Bcd AG FDDg|

g|fded cAag|fd (3eef g2 ag|faed cAAF|GBAG FDDg|

Posted .

Single Reel / Highland Fling (single schottische/German)

~ taken from the playing of Josie McDermott

T: The Flowers of Ballymote
R: single reel
AF (3FFF d2 cA | BGAF GFGB | AF (3FFF dBcA | BGAF DEFG |
AF ~F2 d2 cA | BFAF (3GGG GB | AF ~F2 d2 cA | BFAF d3 ||
e |
fded cA A2 | fdef gbag | (3fgf ed cA (3AAA | BFAF D3 e |
(3fff ed cA (3AAA | (3ffd ef g2 ag | fged cA ~A2 | BGAF DEFG ||

R: highland fling
A>F (3FFF d2 c>A | B>GA>F G>FG>B |
A>F (3FFF d>Bc>A | B>GA>F D>EF>G |
A>F ~F2 d2 c>A | B>FA>F (3GGG G>B |
A>F ~F2 d2 c>A | B>FA>F d3 e ||
f>de>d c>A A2 | f>de>f g>ba>g |
(3fgf e>d c>A (3AAA | B>FA>F D3 e |
(3fff e>d c>A (3AAA | (3ffd e>f g2 a>g |
f>ge>d c>A ~A2 | B>GA>F D>EF>G ||