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The Trip To Sligo jig

Also known as The (Old) Lark In The Morning, The Auld Lark In The Morning, The Lark In The Strand, Morrison’s No. 2, The Old Lark In The Morning, Up Sligo, Up Sligo!, When I Parted.

There are 49 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Trip To Sligo appears in 3 other tune collections.

The Trip To Sligo has been added to 60 tune sets.

The Trip To Sligo has been added to 618 tunebooks.

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Ten settings

1
X: 1
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|: E2e BGE | D2d AFD | E2e BGE | BAG e2f |
gfe dcB | ABG FED | EFG ABc | BGF E3 :|
|: eBe gfe | dAd gag | eBe gfe | faf gbg |
faf gfe | dcB AGF | EFG ABc | BGF E3 :|
2
X: 2
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
B|E2c BGE|D2d AFD|~E3 BAF|GFE e2f|
gfe d^cB|AdF FED|EFG ABc|BGE E2:|B|
eBA gfe|dAd fed|eBe gfe|f/2g/2af gfe|
f/2g/2af gfe|d>^cd AFD|EFG ABc|BGE E2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D|E2B BGE|D2d AFD|E2B BGE|GF Ee2f|
gfe dcB|AFd AFD|E2B BGB|AGFE2:|
|:B|eBe gbe|fdf fgf|eBe gbe|
faf gfe|eBe gbe|d^cd AFD|EFG ABc|BG FE2:|]
4
X: 4
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|: B, |[B,2E2] c BGE | D2 d AFD | [B,2E2] c BAF | GFE e2 (e/f/ |
g)fe dcB | (A/B/A).G FED | EFG ABc | BGF E2 :|
|: B |eBe (g<b).e | dAd (f<a).f | eBe (g<b).e | (f<a).f (g<b).e |
(f<a).f gfe | d({e/d/}c)d AFD | EFG ABc | BGF E2 :|
5
X: 5
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|: B, |E2 c BGE | D2 d AFD | E3 BAF | GFE e2 f |
gfe dcB | BAG FED | EFG ABc | BGF E2 :|
|: B |eBe gbe | {d/e/}d>cd faf | eBe gbe | faf gbe |
faf gfe | {d/e/}d>cd AFD | EFG ABc | BGF E2 :|
6
X: 6
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
E2e BGE | D2d AFD | E2e BGE | BAG e2f |
gfe d^cB | ABG FED | EFG ABc | BGF E3 :|
e| eBe gfe | dAd fed | eBe gfe | faf gfe |
faf gfe | d^cB AFD | EFG ABc | BGF E3 :|
# Added by Shan .
7
X: 7
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:E2e BGE | D2d AFD | E2e BGE | GFE e2f |
gfe d^cB | ABG FED | EFG ABc | BGF E3 :|
e|:eBe gfe | dAd fed | eBe gfe | f/g/af gfe |
f/g/af gfe | d^cB AFD | EFG ABc | BGF E3 :|
# Added by JACKB .
8
X: 8
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:D|E2e BGE|D2d AFD|E2e BGE|GFE e2f|
gfe dcB|ABG FED|EFG FGA|BGF E2:|
|:B|eBe gfe|dAd fed|eBe gfe|faf gfe|
f/2g/2af gfe|dcB AFD|EFG FGA|BGF E2:|
9
X: 9
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
B,|E2 c BGE|D2 d AFD|E2 c BGE|GFE e2 f|
gfe dcB | A/B/AG FED| EFG ABc|BGF E2:|
|:B|eBe gbg | dAd faf | eBe gbg | faf gbg |
gfe dcB |A/B/AG FED| EFG ABc| BGF E2 :|
10
X: 10
T: The Trip To Sligo
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|: E2e BGE | D2d AFD | E2e BGE | GFE e2f |
gfe fdB | {A}B2G FED | EFG FGA |1 BGF E2D :|2 BGF E2B ||
|: eBe gfe | dAd fed | eBe gfe | f/g/af gfe |
f/g/af gfe | fdB AFD | EFG FGA |1 BGF E2B :|2 BGF E2D ||

Twenty-one comments

There’s another name for this tune. I believe the word "lark" is somewhere in the title. I learned it about 20 years ago from a book that has disappeared from my shelves.

Posted by .

I usually hear this tune paired with "Tell Her I Am".

The reason why necox believs this tune has another name with "lark" in it, is probably that the Dubliners recorded the song "Lark In the Morning" (no connection to the tune with the same name) and incorporated this tune as intro and middle part. Though they played it C Major

Posted by .

Sorry, they played in D minor. I got confused because I use the C whistle on this one

Posted by .

The Old Lark in the Morning (The Trip to Sligo)

T:Old Lark in the Morning, The (The Trip to Sligo)
M:6/8
L:1/8
S:Jimmy Power : Irish Fiddle player
R:jig
Z:GianMarcoPietrasanta
K:EMin
B|E2c BGE|D2d AFD|~E3 BAF|GFE e2f|
gfe d^cB|AdF FED|EFG ABc|BGE E2:|B|
eBA gfe|dAd fed|eBe gfe|f/2g/2af gfe|
f/2g/2af gfe|d>^cd AFD|EFG ABc|BGE E2:|

Gorman recording

There’s a nice solo recording of this on Michael Gorman The Sligo Champion (Topic records)

Posted by .

Trip to Sligo

I usually play this tune after a waltz -Munster Cloak. (G major). You can fall into a slow version and speed up the next round if you want.

When I Parted

I’ve heard a version of this under the name "When I Parted" from the Boat BAnd (It’s one of a set of jigs on their Trip to the Lakes CD).
A quick web search shows it appearing in an 1847 Lancashire manuscript, and a Lake District 1835 one.
I wonder where else it’s various travels have taken this tune?

Here’s a transcription of the Boat Band version:
X:1
T:When I Parted.
C:Transcribed from "Trip to the Lakes" CD The Boat Band
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:120
R:Jig
O:England
A:Lakes
K:G
D|E2B BGE|D2d AFD|E2B BGE|GF Ee2f|!
gfe dcB|AFd AFD|E2B BGB|AGFE2:|!
|:B|eBe gbe|fdf fgf|eBe gbe|
faf gfe|eBe gbe|d^cd AFD|EFG ABc|BG FE2:|]

The Lark in the Morning version is in O’Neill’s but differs in using some strong C naturals in the first part and some small differences to the second part.
see https://thesession.org/tunes/8506

Trip to Sligo

It’s also in "Waifs and Strays" as "The Lark in the Morning", and it is annotated:

"James Carbray, Quebec Canada. Mr. Carbray now of Chicago, a versatile musician himself, learned "The Lark in the Morning" from a Kerry fiddler named Courtney. It is an old time Set Dance of marked rhythm and originality, and was first printed in "O’Neill’s Music of Ireland, Chicago, 1902".

"The Lark in the Morning" ~ O’Neill’s "Waifs and Strays"

X: 4
T: Lark in the Morning, The
B: O’Neill’s "Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody", 1922, page75, tune #124
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Emin
|: B, |\
[B,2E2] c BGE | D2 d AFD | [B,2E2] c BAF | GFE e2 e/f/ |
gfe dcB | A/B/AG FED | EFG ABc | BGF E2 :|
|: B |\
eBe g<be | dAd f<af | eBe g<be | f<af g<be |
f<af gfe | d{e/d/}cd AFD | EFG ABc | BGF E2 :|

Number 240 in O’Neill’s 1001 jigs, reels, hornpipes airs and Marches has this tune with some differences ( the B part is better I think) However he calls in ‘The Lark In the Morning’. Odd.

X: 4 "The (old/auld) Lark in the Morning" ~ 1907/1922

S: O’Neill’s "Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems", 1907, page 54, tune #240
S: O’Neill’s "Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody", 1922, page 75, tune #124 (minus staccato)

Notes from "Waifs & Strays": Source listed: James Carbray, Quebec, Canada ~
Mr. Carbray now of Chicago, a versatile musicna himself, learned "The Lark in the Morning" from a Kerry fiddler named Courtney. It is an old time Set Dance of marked rhythm and originality, and was first printed in "O’Neill’s Music of Ireland, 1902. (Not found in "Music of Ireland" but in "Dance Music of Ireland", 1907, as listed above.)

Re: The Trip To Sligo

its played with The Killavil in Scully’s in Newmarket.

Re: The Trip To Sligo

I have never cared for this tune and remain befuddled at its popularity.

Re: The Trip To Sligo

In reply to spindizzy.. About versions of The Trip to Sligo. Here is a version from near Lancaster, north Lancs, 1823. It is from a part of the Winder family collection. Google " The Winders of Wyresdale"


X:1
T:A Trip to Sligo
A:Wyresdale, Lancashire
B:H.S.J. Jackson, 1823
S:in Airds2
L:1/8
M:2/4
K:Dmix
G2BG | dG BG | A/A/A Bd| e2g2 | G2BG | dG BG | cA BG| E2D2 :|
g>a ge |dB GB | ga ge | ag ab | g>a ge |dB GB | cA BG |E2D2 |
g>a ge| dB GB | g>a ge | a>g ab | gb eb | dg dB | cA BG| E2D2|]

The Trip To Sligo, X:9

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. It’s called The Lark’s Song there, possibly from one of the alternative names given on this site, The Old Lark in the Morning.

The Trip To Sligo, X:10

From the harp playing of Andrea Freeman.

Almost identical setting to Patrick Ball’s, on his 1983 harp album "Celtic Harp Volume Two: From A Distant Time". Andrea may have learned it from this album, as they give the tune the same name ("The Lark On The Strand"), and his album pre-dates her album by a handful of years.