Bonnie Kate

This is one of my favorite tunes, it lends itself to gigantic amounts of variation. I left out the variations as this would be the standard session setting of it. Some of the variations would be as follows

for the first three bars of the A part (including the pickup bar)
1a. Bd | (3dcB (3cBA BGAF | (3GFE (3FED EA,CE ...
2a. BD | (3ded (3cdc (3BcB (3ABA | (3GAG (3FGF EA,CE ...
3a. dB | AF (3FFF DF (3FFF | AF (3FFF EA,CE ...
4a. dB | dcde fdBA | DFAF EA,CE ...

For the first bars of the "high" or "B" part
2a. ad(3ddd bd(3ddd | ad(3ddd cdef | ~g3f gbag | fgef d2 |
2b. ad(3ddd bd(3ddd | ad(3ddd cdef | g=c(3ccc ac(3ccc | g=c(3ccc cdef | ~g3f gbag | fgef d2 ||

Coleman made a famous recording of this & played it in the following order. Treating each variation as a four bar part

A (as noted in the abc's one time through)
A
1a
3a
B (as noted in the ABC's one time through)
B
B
B

3a
1a
2a
3a
2b
2b
2b
2b

2a
3a
3a
4a
2b
2b
2b
2b/ ===>Jennie's Chicken's

Burke played the B-Part like 3b, which is fresh sounding but changes the acc. chord to "C" instaed of "G" so you should warn your guitarist/bouzouki/piano etc.

Weird notes I know but feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.

I've heard many accordian players who play for feisanna play this as a single reel with none of the Coleman variations. Which I think is more suited to a session as well, you never know when your going to go to different variations & muddy up the sound. But It's a great showpiece nonetheless.

Bye for now - B

# Posted on June 11th 2002 by B Rad

Whistle Players

Oh yeah, instead of the EA,CE phrase you can play EGFE (like the second time around the posted setting) & it works just fine. I got that one from Paddy Keenan's pipes.

# Posted on June 11th 2002 by B Rad

Jaysus, Brad. Can you just record an mp3 of it and put it up somewhere so I can figure this out without giving myself a royal headache?

Zina

# Posted on June 11th 2002 by Zina Lee

Update on my web-page

If you go to my web page at
http://www.geocities.com/brad_maloney2000
I just updated it with an mp3 of Michael Coleman's setting of Bonnie Kate/Jennie's chickens. I'll be changing up the artist every month (or thereabouts) so get t while you can.
The direct url to Fiddler of the month is
http://www.geocities.com/brad_maloney2000/fiddlermonth.html

have fun

# Posted on June 16th 2002 by B Rad

Bonnie Kate - variation by Sean Ryan

I've recently come across a sheetmusic transcription (dated I think sometime before 1975) of Sean Ryan's recording of Bonnie Kate on Avoca 33-AV-121, including all his ornamentation. I haven't heard the recording so I don't know how fast he took it or what other instruments were involved. Perhaps a collector of old records can provide this information? Anyway, here is the Sean Ryan version converted into abc:

T:Bonnie Kate
R:reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
dB||:A2dA (3 Bcd AF|DF AF EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc ~d3 B|!
AF (3 FFF DF (3 FFF|dF (3 FFF EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc dc dB|!
Ad ~d2 fd AF|(3 GFE (3FED EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc dc dB|!
AF (3 FFF DF (3 FFF|dF (3 FFF EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc de fg||!
{ab}a2 fd Ad fa|~g3e cd ef|g2 {a}gf gb ag|fg fe de fg|!
{ab}a2 fd Ad fa|gf ed cd ef|g2 {a}gf gb ag|fg fe de fg|!
{ab}a2 fd Ad fa|gf ed cd ef|g2 {a}gf gb ag|fg fe de fg|!
{ab}a2 fd AD FA|gf ed cd ef|gf ed cb ag|fg fe dc Bc||!
(3 dcB (3 cBA BA GF|(3 GFE (3FED EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc dc dB|!
AF (3 FFF DF (3 FFF|dF (3 FFF EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc dc Bc|!
(3 dcB (3 cBA BA GF|(3 GFE (3FED EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc dc dB|!
AF (3 FFF DF (3 FFF|dF (3 FFF EA, CE|DF AF GB ed|(3 cBA Bc de fg||!
ad (3 ddd ad bd|ad (3 ddd cd ef|g2 {a}gf gb ag|fg fe de fg|!
ad (3 ddd ad bd|ad (3 ddd cd ef|gf ed cb ag|fg fe de fg|!
ad (3 ddd ad bd|ad (3 ddd cd ef|g2 {a}gf gb ag|fg fe de fg|!
ad (3 ddd ad bd|ad (3 ddd cd ef|gf ed cb ag|fg fe dg fe||

# Posted on October 8th 2002 by Trevor Jennings

The Bonny Lass Of Fisherrow

This was written by Scottish composer Daniel (or Donald) Dow (1732-83). I prefer the original version which is a single reel in C major entitled "The Bonny Lass Of Fisherrow". It's one of those Scottish tunes the Irish should have just left the way it was IMO. The original has a nice flingy feel to it which I feel that the Irish version has lost:

X:1
T:The Bonny Lass Of Fisherrow
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Cmaj
|:A|GEcG AcGE|CEGE D2DA|GEGc AFAc|BdGB c2c:|
f|ecgc egca|gcec defa|gceg fadf|egde c2cf|
ecgc egca|gcec defd|cAFc BdGf|egde c2c||

# Posted on November 15th 2004 by Dr. Dow

Another setting in the same key:

X:1
T:The Bonny Lass Of Fisherrow
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Cmaj
|:A|GEcG AcGE|CEGE D2DA|GEGc AFAc|BdGB c2c:|
f|ecgc ecca|gcec defa|gceg fagf|egde c2cf|
ecgc ecca|gcec defd|cFAc BAGf|egde c2c||

# Posted on November 15th 2004 by Dr. Dow

I bet you didn't know that I live in Fisherrow. It's the part of Musselburgh on the west side of the River Esk just as you leave Edinburgh(it's more or less a continuation). It used to be a busy fishing port and the "bonny lass" was probably one of the "fisher lasses" who worked at the harbour. The fishing days have gone now and the boats now work from Port Seton a few miles down the coast. The harbour is still used but it's more like a marina nowadays with lots of small yachts.
I have played this tune myself but it's not too common in Scottish sessions. I've not tackled the Irish version as yet.

# Posted on November 15th 2004 by Johnny Jay

John, wow! I didn't know where the place actually was. I'm going to introduce this to the people at my session. They're always looking for cool settings of common tunes, like Micho Russell's Mason's Apron, Coleman's Merry Blacksmith, Maid Behind The Bar in C, Sally Gardens in D, Pigeon on the Gate in G, that sort of thing. They'll love this one.

# Posted on November 16th 2004 by Dr. Dow

At the moment, you can listen to Brian Conway play this reel on his Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/brianconwayfiddle

# Posted on August 2nd 2008 by slainte

Bonnie Kate

Slightly more relaxed fiddle playing of the reel by Maeve Flanagan: http://www.myspace.com/maeveflanagan

She's Brian Conway's niece, I believe.

# Posted on August 2nd 2008 by slainte

ok - here's the mighty Liz C launching into it

http://www.youtube.com/user/paulgoelz#p/u/8/UqoE5wu6svU

# Posted on May 13th 2011 by domhnall.

....at about 13:27

# Posted on May 13th 2011 by domhnall.