Clarke’s strathspey

Also known as The Ardara Girls, Ardara Lasses, The Ardara Lasses, Cailíní Ard A’ Ratha, Coleman’s Fling, Lord Lyndoch, Lord Lyndoch’s, Lord Lynedoch, Michael Coleman’s Highland Fling, The Rosses Highland Fling, The Rosses Highland, Rosses Highlands, The Rosses Highlands.

There are 17 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Clarke’s has been added to 7 tune sets.

Clarke's has been added to 50 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Five settings

1
X: 1
T: Clarke's
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d2 dB AFFA|GEEG FD D2|d2 dB AF F2|faeg fddc|
d2 dB AFFA|GEEG FD D2|d2 dB AF F2|faeg fdde|
fdad fdad|(3cBA eA fAeA|fdad f2 de|faeg fdde|
fdad fdad|(3cBA eA fAeA|(3Bcd (3cde (3def (3efg|(3fga (3bag (3fgf (3edc|
2
X: 2
T: Clarke's
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d2dB A<FFA|G<EEG F<DDc|dcdB AF<Fe|1 (3fga eg fd (3ABc:|2 (3fga eg fddg||
fdad fdad|(3cBA eA cAeg|fdad fdef|g2ag fddg|
fdad fdad|(3cBA eA cAeA|(3Bcd (3cde dfef|gbag (3fed ec||
3
X: 3
T: Clarke's
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
dcdB AFDF|B2 BA B2 Bc|dcdB AFDF|EDEF D2 FA|
dcdB AFDF|B2 BA B2 Bc|dcdB AFDF|EDEF D3 e||
fdad fdad|cAeA cAeg|fdad f2 fg|abag fdde|
fdad fdad|cAeA cAeA|(3Bcd (3cde (3fed (3efg|abag fd d2||
4
X: 4
T: Clarke's
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
(3ABc|dedB AFDF|GABA GABc|dedB AFDF|ECEF D2:|
(3ABc|defg afdf|e^def e=dBA|defg afdf|ed (3efe d2
(3ABc|defg afdf|e^def e=dBA|dedB AFDF|EDEF D2||
5
X: 5
T: Clarke's
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
(3ABc|:"D"d>cd>B A<F D>A|"G"G>B~B2 "A"G>AB>c|"D"d>cd>B A<F D>F|"A"E>DC>E "D"D2(3ABc:|
"D"d>ef>g a>ba>f|"Em"e>df>d "A7"e>dB>c|"D"d>ef>g a>ba>f|"E7"e>d"A7"e>f "D"d2(3ABc|
"D"d>ef>g a>ba>f|"Em"e>de>f "A7"e>dB>c|"D"(3ded B>d A<F D>F|"A"E>DC>E "D"D2||

Nineteen comments

This is the third highland in Altan’s “The Rosses Highlands” set. This version is that one, with my own little twist. I got the name “Clarke’s” off of Téada’s album.

Also… I typically play this tune as a highland-strathspey-hornpipe type thing… Lots of swing and bounce, and slur all the triplets.

It’s also on Simon Thoumire and David Milligan’s concertina and piano duet album “Big Day In.” Unfortunately Simon doesn’t give us any information of the tune simply calling it Highland, but it is likely he got it from Altan’s recording.

Errik, it seems you are addicted to Donegal highlands. Learn banjo! Donegal tunes would sound nice on it. Well, I’m not so young to learn new instruments and so will stay just on whistle and flute.

Yes, slainte, I think I am addicted to highlands, too. I’m obsessed with anything pertaining to Donegal or the north… 🙂 I’m not too sure what style of fiddle I play in, but there’s definetely a LOAD of Donegal coming through. No doubt about that. I spent a weekend in the southwest part of the county in March, and I noticed how closely my playing resembled the other fiddlers’ playing. We played a lot of the same tunes (mazurkas, highlands, barndances, etc), and had that same “drive” you would expect from the north. Even Cape Breton fiddlers have an influence on me, with the Scottish tunes and all. Up Donegal

slainte, you *are* young enough to learn a new instrument!! If I can start fiddle at 38, you can pick up the banjo if you really wanted too. Aren’t you still in your 20’s? (even if you are over 30, if I can do it, so can you!)

Posted by .

I’m just turning 25 but hadn’t played any instrument for seven years and then picked up whistle two years ago, so I need to stick to whistle and flute for the moment. I really love Donegal tunes, but they’re mostly fiddle tunes which are not so suitable on whistle or flute, so I just enjoy listening them.

If I can afford to buy another instrument, I’ll probably learn and play many Donegal tunes on banjo. It’s a shame a few banjo players play northern tunes. Eamonn Coyne does on his solo album, and Seamus Egan also recorded King George IV on banjo, which is really cool.

Michael Coleman recorded this as Clarke’s in 1944. Probably Oisin from Téada got the title from that. In Kerr’s it’s called Lord Lyndoch.

The Scottish version Lord Lyndoch has a slightly different A-part. Look it up on online tune indexes. Altan’s version is distinctive b/c of its snaps in the 1st part: dcdB A<FFA|G<EEG F<DD2|dcdB A<FFe|(3fga eg fdd..

X: 1
T: Ardara Lasses
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland
D: Altan - Harvest Storm
K: Dmaj
d2dB A<FFA|G<EEG F<DDc|dcdB AF<Fe|1 (3fga eg fd (3ABc:|2 (3fga eg fddg||
fdad fdad|(3cBA eA cAeg|fdad fdef|g2ag fddg|
fdad fdad|(3cBA eA cAeA|(3Bcd (3cde dfef|gbag (3fed ec||

“Coleman’s Fling” / “Clarke’s” ~ rescued duplication

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on June 14th 2008 by airport.
~ /tunes/8619

X: 3
T: Coleman’s Fling
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey
K: Dmaj
dcdB AFDF | B2 BA B2 Bc | dcdB AFDF | EDEF D2 FA |
dcdB AFDF | B2 BA B2 Bc | dcdB AFDF | EDEF D3 e ||
fdad fdad | cAeA cAeg | fdad f2 fg | abag fdde |
fdad fdad | cAeA cAeA | (3Bcd (3cde (3fed (3efg | abag fd d2 |]

I got this from a workshop with John Carty. this video should help you strathspey-ize it:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vh8jqGtHue4


# Posted on June 14th 2008 by airport

John Carty & Arty McGlynn

That’s airport’s U-Tube link…

“Lord Lyndoch” ~ now for a little history

“The Skye Collection of the Best Reels & Strathspeys”, Keith Norman MacDonald, 1887 ~ page 66

“The Athole Collection of Scottish Dance Music”, James Stewart Robertson, 1884 ~ page 113

X: 1
T: Lord Lyndoch
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey
K: DMaj
|: A |\
d>ed<B A>FD<F | E<BB>A G<BB>c |
d>ed<B A>FD>F | E>DE<F D/D/D D :|
g |\
f/e/d a>d f>da>d | c/B/A e>A c>de>g |
f/e/d a>d f>da>d | g<ba>g fddg |
f/e/d a>d f>da>d | c/B/A eA c>de<A |
B<dc<e d<fe<g | f<ba>g fdd |]

“Lord Lyndoch” by P. Agnew

~ further information given in those two sources…

This melody, as is not uncommon with ‘highland flings’, has also been categorized under ‘schottische’ or ‘highland schottische’, and, of course, strathspey… If you’ve been following any of the several discussions on the topic you’ll know that ‘highland flings’ and ‘highland schottisches’ are one in the same species…

Cailini Ard a’Ratha

X:964
T:Cailini Ard a’Ratha
S:Donegal Fiddle Tutor Vol.3
Z:Nigel Gatherer
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:D
(3ABc | dedB AFDF | GABA GABc | dedB AFDF | ECEF D2 :|
(3ABc | defg afdf | e^def e=dBA | defg afdf | ed (3efe d2
(3ABc | defg afdf | e^def e=dBA | dedB AFDF | EDEF D2 |]