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Sliabh Na MBan waltz

Also known as The Mountain Of The Women.

There are 9 recordings of this tune.

Sliabh Na MBan has been added to 2 tune sets.

Sliabh Na MBan has been added to 87 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: Sliabh Na MBan
R: waltz
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
DF|:G4 cA|B4 AF|G4 Bd|g4 a2|(3gfe f2 {c}d2|AB c2 Bc|
d3 e dc|AB G4|1 Bd c3 B|A4 DE/F/:|2 cB A G2 F|G4 A/B/d||
g2 B2 de|fe e2 d2|ca B4-|B4 AF|G3 A Bd|g2 B2 de|
f2 fe f2|fe d4|z2 D2 EF|G4 cA|B4 AF|G4 Bd|
g4 a2|ge f2 d2|AB c2 Bc|d3 e dc|AB G4|GFG2||
2
X: 2
T: Sliabh Na MBan
R: waltz
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G2 A/B/c d2|B4 A2|G2 G2 Bd|g4 ag|f d3 B2|~c4 Bc|d3 e dB|B2 G4|c/d/ A2 G3|F2 G4:|A2 Bc de (e/f/)|
M:2/4
g3 B|c3 d|f3 e|d3 A/G/|B4|A2 G2|G2 Bd|g3 B|c3 d|f3 e|~d4|D2 EF|
M:3/4
G4 c2|B4 A2|G2 G2 Bd|g4 ag|f d3 B2|~c4 Bc|d3 e dB|B2 G4|c/d/ A2 G3|F2 G4||
3
X: 3
T: Sliabh Na MBan
R: waltz
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D3EF2|G4-GA/B/|c4A2|B4 A3G/F/|G3 Bd2|g4 {agfgab}a2-ag/f/e/|f d4-d>B|c6 B>c|
d3 e d2 c/A/B|1 G4Bd|c2 B2 AG|A4B/A/G/F:|2 G4 cA3 B/A/G/F|G4 A/G/F|G6 B>c||
d3 ef2|g4 B2|c4 d>e|f3e de/d/|cA B4-|B4 AF|G3 A Bd|g4 B2|c4 d>e|f4 e2d<^c|d8|
D3 EF2|G4-GA/B/|c4A2|B4 AG/F/|G4 Bd|g4 {agfgab}a2-ag/f/e/|f d4-d>B|c6 Bc|
d3 e d3c/A/|AB G4|cA4 B/A/G/F|G6A/G/F|G6 A/G/F||

Ten comments

This is a slow air… which i learnt off Theresa Kavanagh (she’s got a track of this tune on iTunes).

There is a simpler version on JC’s tunefinder but this is a nicer one i think..

cheers,

Sam

Sliabh na MBan

Translated from the Irish the name means - The Mountain of the Women
This is a wonderful song/air usually sung in the Gaelic, and is about failed1798 rising in Ireland. The song laments the fact that the Yeomen are camped on the slopes of Slieve Na MBan and that the French did not arrive in time to support the rising. One of the verses criticises Wolf Tone (here translated from the Irish):-
And Tone deceived us. He told us we would win, and overthrow the tyrant in a foreign style
I would not say that he lied willingly.
His heart was true until the last.
And we chased the Yeoman across the country
To the sunny sunny slopes of Sliabh na MBan.

oh yeah… sorry, forgot to say what it meant in english

Sliabh na Mban

There is a really fine version of the slow air in Matt Cranitch’s book. Works on flute/whistle in key of D or G.

Sliabh na Mban

I chose this as my performance piece for my first public violin solo.
I can’t remember playing it. (Can you say "nervous"?) I can remember the older women in the room (about 200 people) getting out their hankies, though, and the applause at the end.
I recommend it for such situations. It gives the novice time to think and adjust. I am very happy that I selected this tune.
Regards to you all.

Sliabh na mBan

Liam O’Flynn performs a variation of this beautiful slow air on the tin whistle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3qmJiUiAh0


Here’s my transcription of it in Gmaj:

X: 1
T: Sliabh na mBan
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
Q: 84
C: Traditional
K: Gmaj
|: G2 A/B/c d2 |B4 A2 |G2 G2 Bd | g4 ag |f d3 B2 |~c4 Bc |d3 e dB |
B2 G4 |c/d/ A2 G3 | F2 G4 :| A2 Bc de (e/f/) |
M:2/4 %Meter
g3 B |c3 d |f3 e | d3 A/G/ |B4 |A2 G2 |G2 Bd | g3 B |c3 d |f3 e |~d4 | D2 EF |
M:3/4 %Meter
G4 c2 |B4 A2 |G2 G2 Bd | g4 ag |f d3 B2 |~c4 Bc |d3 e dB |
B2 G4 |c/d/ A2 G3 |F2 G4 ||]

Re: Sliabh Na mBan

The correct way to write it is Sliabh na mBan, if anyone wondered ;).

Re: Sliabh Na MBan

This Version performed by Mike Rafferty and is another track from his album Speed 78. There also exists a hornpipe version.