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The Mountain Lark reel

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

There are 32 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Mountain Lark appears in 8 other tune collections.

The Mountain Lark has been added to 7 tune sets.

The Mountain Lark has been added to 171 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Five settings

1
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|
2
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:|2 fefd Beef||
eB~B2 efge|fdad bdad|eB~B2 efge|f2df e2ef|
eB~B2 efge|fdad bdad|g2ge fgfe|dBAF E3D||
3
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||
4
X: 4
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
E2 BA Bdef|deBd AFDF|E2 BA Bdef|dBAF BE E2|
E2 BA Bdef|deBd AFDF|E2 BA Bdef|gefd Be e2||
eB B2 efge|fdad bdad|eB B2 efge|fedf e3f|
eB B2 efge|fdad bdad|gafg egfe|dBAF BE E2||
# Added by JACKB .
5
X: 5
T: The Mountain Lark
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:E2 BA Bdef|dfBd AFDF|E2 BA Bdef|dBdF E/E/E E2:|
eB BA/B/ eBge|fdad bdad|eB BA/B/ eBge|dBdF E/E/E E2|
eB BA/B/ eBge|fdad bdad|gafa egde|BdAF E/E/E E2||

Eleven 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!

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

X:5 is a very early version of this tune which can be found in Robert Ross’s Choice Collection (1774) under the title "Smiling Kattie".