Lark In The Clear Air (waltz) on The Session

Also known as Fuiseog Sna Gléigealspéir, The Lark In The Clear Air, The Tailor’s Son.

Three settings

X: 1
T: Lark In The Clear Air
R: waltz

M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
d4dB|G3/2F/ FG EC|D4D/E/F|G2 (3ABc B2|A2d2dB|
G3/2F/ FG EC|D4DE/F/|(3GAB E2AF|G4DE/F/|
G3F G/A/B/c/|d4e3/2d/|dB GA Bd/c/|B2A2dB|
G3/2F/ FG EC|D4DE/F/|(3GAB E2AF|G6||

X: 2
T: Lark In The Clear Air
R: waltz

X: 3
T: Lark In The Clear Air
R: waltz

M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
dB|G2FG E>C|D4(3DEF|G3A Bc|A2d2dB|
w: Dear_thoughts are_ in my mind, and_ my soul_ soars en-chan-ted As I
w: I shall tell her_ all my love, and_ my soul's_ ad-o-ra-tion And I
G2FG EC|D4(3DEF|GBE2A>F|G4DD|
w: hear the_ sweet lark sing in_ the clear_ air of the day. For a
w: think she_ will hear me, and__ will_ not say me nay. It is
G>F GA Bc|d4ed|dB GA (3Bdc|B2A2dB|
w: ten-der, beams - ing_ smile to my hope_ has_ been__ grant-ed, And to-
w: this that gives_ my_ soul all its joy - ous_ e_ - la-tion As I
G>F FG EC|D4(3DEF|GBE2A>F|G4||
w: mor-row she_ shall_ hear all_ my fond_ heart would_ say.
w:hear_ the_ sweet lark sing in_ the clear_ air of the day.

Twelve comments

A great tune which brings back memories of Ciarán MacMathúna’s early morning RTE radio programme. It was also played on a recording by fiddle (or should I say violin) player, Geraldine O’Grady some years ago with a slightly classical flavour to it !

Reading this as a waltz

In reading this notation I find it difficult to see it as the air it is. The 3/4 would make the uninitiated to play this too fast and as a waltz.
Some time ago I wrote this down from a recording by Noel Pepper on mouth organ. To do it justice I found it best to count it in six beats to the bar (6/4) with occassional bars of 3/4 and 5/4.
I’ve just asked my eldest daughter (music teacher and oboeist) to compare the twonotations and to say which conveys the slower tempo. She suggested 6/4.
I’ll put the abc in shortly for comparison.

It just might also help the Midi playback as well.

Reading this as a Waltz

I am sure that you are right….. 6/4 with the occasional 3/4 and 5/4 bars does make more sense and when I first noted it down (without bars) it played OK. However, I thought that I ought to submit it with bars, so have effectively messed it up! Would be most grateful if someone better at ABC than me would sort it out and re-submit it! Thanks,

David Savage
(PS I guss that the MID would also sound better then too!)

Here it is in D;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAkcalPr3nM There’s a great sense of clear air-ity, clarity or clairty, in this lovely version by the Chieftains.

play video

The tune here has nothing of an outer, life-like echo of a lark singing (on the wing in the light) but seems to externalise the inner resonance of that moment of serenity.

More lark tunes and reflections at:
https://thesession.org/tunes/62https://thesession.org/tunes/632/comments

A skylark rises I
breathe in the mist I
walk on the clouds

Shiki Masaoka

This haiku is

usually translated as:

Trampling on clouds,
inhaling the mist,
the skylark soars

—Shiki

I prefer the later… Thanks BB! 🙂

Setting for Low D Whistle

I’ve just added a setting of the tune transposed into D so it can be played on the Low D whistle. Re. the waltz vs 6/4 thing - I too an new to ABC, but so long you play at about 50-60 bpm it should play OK.

Re: Lark In The Clear Air

Played on Hammered Dulcimer, English Concertina, Fiddle & Whistle.

My photos of the Skylarks were taken here in north Antrim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fxk72YeQ8