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The Mountain Lark reel

Also known as An Híleantóir Réiceach, Boney Kate Of Aberdeen, Lively Kate, The Rakish Highlander.

There are 32 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with Ask My Father (a few times), The Crooked Road To Dublin (a few times) and Toss The Feathers (a few times).

The Mountain Lark appears in 4 other tune collections.

The Mountain Lark has been added to 8 tune sets.

The Mountain Lark has been added to 160 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Eight settings

X: 1
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
E2 (BA) Bdef|deBd AFDF|E2 (BA) Bdef|dBAF BEEz|
E2 (BA) Bdef|deBd AFDF|E2 (BA) Bdef|gefd (Be)ez||
e(B~B2) efge|fdad bdad|e(B~B2) efge|fedf e2(ef)|
e(B~B2) efge|fdad bdad|gafg egfe|dBAF (BE)Ez|
X: 2
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
EBBA B/c/d ef | dfBd ADFD | EBBA B/c/d ef |1 dBAF BE ED :|2fefd Beef||
eB~B2 efge | fdad bdad | eB~B2 efge | f2df e2ef |
eB~B2 efge | fdad bdad | g2ge fgfe | dBAF E3D ||
X: 3
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
E2BA Bdef|defd AFDF|E2BA Bdef|dBAF BEED|
E2BA Bdef|defd AFDF|E2BA Bdef|gfed Beed||
eB~B2 efge|f2af bfaf|eB~B2 efge|fedf e2gf|
eB~B2 efge|f2af bfaf|g2fg egfe|dBAF BFAF||
X: 4
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 FABA|F~E3 FEDc| D3E FABA|
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 ~B3A|F~E3 FEDc| D3E F~A3||
~B3e f2ed|Beed BAFA|BBeB fBed|~B3c dAFA|
~B3e f2eg|f2ec dcde|f2ed dcBA|(3Bcd ec dcBA||
X: 5
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 FABA|F~E3 FEDB,| ~D3E FABA|
|F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 FABA|F~E3 FEDB,| ~D3E FABA||
|B~e3 fded|Beec dBAd|B~e3 fded|~B3c dBAd|
|B~e3 f2ed|fgfe ~d3e|fdec dcBA|~B3c dcBA:|FEED E4||
X: 6
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
FE~E2 FEDE|FE~E2 FBBA|FE~E2 FEDB,| ~D3E FBBA|
FE~E2 FEDE|FE~E2 FBBA|FE~E2 FEDB,| ~D3E FA~A2||
Be~e2 feed|Beec dBcA|Be~e2 fded|~B3c dcBA|
Be~e2 feed|egfe d3e|fdec dcBA|~B3c dcBA||
X: 7
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
gf | eA (3cBA eABA | GFEF G2 (ED) | EAAB cBcd | efge d2(fg) |
eA (3cBA eABA | GFEF G2 (ED) | EAAB cBcd | efge d2 ||(Bc) |
dgfg dg (3{a}gfg | eaga ea (3{b}aga | efge defg | af{a}ge d2 (Bc) |
dgfg (dg) (3{a}gfg | eaga (ea) (3{b}aga | efge defg | (3agf ge d2 |]
X: 8
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 FABA|F~E3 FEDc| D3E FABA|
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 ~B3A|F~E3 FEDc| D3E F~A3||
~B3e f2ed|Beed BAFA|BBeB fBed|~B3c dAFA|
~B3e f2eg|f2ec dcde|f2ed dcBA|(3Bcd ec dcBA||

Fourteen comments

The Mountain Lark

Book: O’Neill - The Dance Music of Ireland
Transcription: Gian Marco Pietrasanta (craniota)

?Repeats

Is this what you call a single reel - i.e. played with no repeats as written or is it usually played AABB.
Cheers
Donough

I’ve only ever heard this one played single, myself. Might be different somewhere else.

Zina

The mountain lark

"Danu" play this reel with no repeats.

T:Rakish Highlander, The
M:C|
L:1/8
S:charlie piggot & gerry harrington - the new road
R:reel
Z:GM
K:EDor
EBBA B/c/d ef | dfBd ADFD | EBBA B/c/d ef |1 dBAF BE ED :|2fefd Beef||
eB~B2 efge | fdad bdad | eB~B2 efge | f2df e2ef |
eB~B2 efge | fdad bdad | g2ge fgfe | dBAF E3D ||

The Mountain Lark

Here’s a more flute-friendly version of the tune:

K: Edor
E2BA Bdef|defd AFDF|E2BA Bdef|dBAF BEED|
E2BA Bdef|defd AFDF|E2BA Bdef|gfed Beed||
eB~B2 efge|f2af bfaf|eB~B2 efge|fedf e2gf|
eB~B2 efge|f2af bfaf|g2fg egfe|dBAF BFAF||

This is a mixture of the versions recorded by fiddler Nollag Casey and East Galway flute player Sean Moloney with some phrases taken from similar tunes in the same key. The first part is very much like that of The Tap Room, but Roscommon is probably most similar: https://thesession.org/tunes/637

This tune is in the Gunn Book (Fermanagh 1865) as Boney (sic) Kate of Aberdeen.
What a great tune!

Mcsherry´s version

X: 16
T: Mountain Lark, the
C: Trad.
R: Reel
N: John McSherry "Six days in Down"
Z: M. Novo
M: 4/4
I: speed 450
L: 1/8
K: Bm
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 FABA|F~E3 FEDc| D3E FABA|
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 ~B3A|F~E3 FEDc| D3E F~A3||
~B3e f2ed|Beed BAFA|BBeB fBed|~B3c dAFA|
~B3e f2eg|f2ec dcde|f2ed dcBA|(3Bcd ec dcBA||

Tulla Ceili Band version

Hi,

Here is the ABC of the TCB version :
X: 1
T: The Mountain Lark
I: Tulla Ceili Band version
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 FABA|F~E3 FEDA| D3E FABA|
F~E3 FEDE|F~E3 ~B3A|F~E3 FEDA| D3E F~A3||
~B3e f2ed|Beed BAFA|BBeB fBed|~B3c dAFA|
~B3e f2eg|f2ec dcde|f2ed dcBA|(3Bcd ec dcBA|
Beee f2ed|BBBc dBAd|Beee f2ed|BBBc d4|
Beee f2ed|egfe d3d|fdec dcBA|B3c dcBA||

The Mountain Lark, X:5

This is the version at our session. Sometime in the B part at |B ~e3 f2ed|
I do |B~e3 f~e3|. I think the leader at our session got this version from a session in Claire.

The Mountain Lark, X:6

a setting from "The Tulla Ceili Band" - "A Celebration Of 50 Years"

The Mountain Lark, X:7

Another tune - from Allan’s Irish Fiddler.