The Lilies In The Field reel

This is largely down to Harry Bradley, who recently recorded it. I’ll comment later.

The Belfast flute player, Michael Clarkson has the following version on his CD ‘The Far Set’:

M:4/4
K:D
Addc A2AB | cBcd edcd | Addc A2AB | BAGE EDD2 :|
d2fd Adfd | cdef gece | d2fd Adfd | ceag eddc | d2fd Adfd |
cdef g2fg | af~f2 geed | eaag eddc ||

For what it’s worth, I play it something like this:

M:4/4
K:D
Addc A2AB | cBcd ecdc | Addc A2AB | BAGE EDD2 :|
d2fd Adfd | cdef gece | d2fd Adfd | ceag eddc | d2fd Adfd |
cdef g2fg | afge fdcd | eaag eddc ||

T:Lilies In The Field, The
M:4/4
L:1/8
S:Harry Bradley
R:reel
Z:g.m.p
K:D
Addc A2AB|BAcd efdB|AFdB A2Bd|cAGE FDD2|
Addc A2AB|BAcd efdB|AFDB A2Bd|cAGE FDD2||
d2fd Adfd|B/c/d ef gece|d2fd Adfd|eaag fdd2|
dgfd Adfd|B/c/d ef g2fg|afge d2cd|eaag fdd2||

At a session in Miltown Malbay 2 years ago, Harry Bradley, along with a box-player and fiddle player, nearly lifted the roof off the pub playing this tune, at what I think was probably the best session I’ve ever heard. It turned out later when I got the name of the tune that it’d been lurking in the collection for a few years on the CD by Noel Hill & Tony McMahon, with Iarla O’Leonard. A perfect example of how one musician ( in this case, 3, ) can make you look at a tune again in a new light. Seems to be a favourite with flute-players, as Paul McGrattan has it on his latest recording, as well as Harry and Michael Clarkson.

Bobby Gardiner plays it on “The Master’s Choice”

T:Lilies In The Field, The
M:4/4
L:1/8
C:Paul McGrattan - Keelwest
R:reel
K:D
Addc A3B | c3d eddc | Addc A2B/c/d | cAGE EDD2 |
Addc ~A3B | cAB/c/d eddc | Addc A2B/c/d | cAGE EDD2 ||
d2fd Adfd |cdef g2fe | d2fd Adfd | eaag edd2 |
d2fd Adfd |B/c/d ef g2fg|afge d2B/c/d|eaag eddc|

He calls it “Kitty in the Lane” on that album but it seems to be a different tune.

The source of this tune was a 78 rpm recording by the melodeon player P.J. Conlon. It was revived by Paul Brock and Frankie Gavin on their recording “Homage to Joe Cooley,” on which they called it “The Lillies of the Field,” a title supplied (and invented) by accordion great Paddy O’Brien of Offaly and Minnesota.

A fiddle oriented setting:

X: 1
T: Lillies in the Field, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: D
Addc A2 AB|~c3d efdB|Addc AFBd|cAGE FDDB|
Addc A2 AB|~c3d efdB|AFdB AFBd|cAGE FDFA||
d2 fd Adfd|B/c/d ef gafe|defd Adfd|ceag fdec|
dafd Adfd|B/c/d ef (3gag fg|af g/f/e fdcd|eaag fedB||

Played on flute in a tutorial

http://mattandshannonheaton.com/totm.html

This is basically the same tune that appears under the title ‘Sailor’s Jacket’ in the O’Neill collections, and under the title ‘Come to Your Tay’ in the earlier Ryan’s Mammoth Collection tunebook.

It’s also called this (Kitty in the Lane) by Geraldine O’Callaghan and Earnesting Healy on a Comhaltas video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLVXserV1mw

play video

Ernestine Healy and Geraldine O’Callaghan at Scoil Éigse

Kitty in the Lane is a different tune so they have it wrong.

“Kitty in the Lane is a different tune so they have it wrong.”
Prof. Prlwytzkofsky

Sure is Prof

https://thesession.org/tunes/569

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyjpoevPKJo

play video

just wanted a version in A for my tune folio

Tin Whistle Version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw6YFDQqpjA

play video

A straightforward barebones setting.