The Mountain Lark reel

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

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

"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 ||

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!

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||

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||

These last 2 versions are a different tune entirely, also (I think) by Brendan McMahon. This version already has a separate entry: https://thesession.org/tunes/7862

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.

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

Another tune - from Allan’s Irish Fiddler.

3rd tune in this set I had a go at today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9KDNaMSzmo

play video