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The Lark in the Clear Air

[ Roud 24791 ; DT LARKAIR ; Mudcat 13808 ; Sir Samuel Ferguson (1810-1886)]

Paddie Bell sang The Lark in the Clear Air on her 1968 album I Know Where I’m Going.

Graham and Eileen Pratt sang Lark in the Clear Air on their 1977 album Clear Air of the Day which got its title from the song’s last line. They also sang it on their 2008 album The Greek King’s Daughter where they noted:

A love song from the pen of Sir Samuel Ferguson, early nineteenth century Irish poet and collector of airs. At the time this was a new version of an old favourite from our album Clear Air of the Day. Thanks to James Singleton for rescuing this mix after the original data got lost!

Hannah James sang The Lark in the Clear Air in 2000 on Kerfuffle’s album Links. They noted:

Hannah learned The Lark in the Clear Air, a traditional Irish song, from her first singing teacher, Mrs Hawkins, when she was eight years old. Mrs Hawkins is sadly no longer with us so this song is dedicated to her.

Jane and Amanda Threlfall sang Lark in the Clear Air on their 2000 CD Morning Tempest and on their 2007 CD Revisited. They noted:

The tune is an Irish air entitled The Taylor, whilst the words were written in the mid 19^th century by Samuel Ferguson. It’s an enduring song, though its earlier popularity has somehow created the impression of it being hackneyed. But on examination, the combination of appealing melody and intellectual succinctness in its lyrics, demonstrates that this is not the case.

Cara Dillon sang The Lark in the Clear Air, accompanied by Sam Lakeman on piano, in 2001 on her eponymous debut album Cara Dillon. This track was also included in advance in the same year on the Mrs Casey anthology Evolving Tradition 3.

Ruth Notman sang Lark in the Clear Air, “[a] song from Ireland that I learnt when I was a wee bairn”, on her 2009 CD The Life of Lilly.

Karine Polwart sang The Lark in the Clear Air on her 2017 CD A Pocket of Wind Resistance.

Maddy Prior, Hannah James and Giles Lewin sang The Lark in the Clear Air unaccompanied on their 2018 Park CD Shortwinger. They noted:

The first use of this tune, Cathleen Nowlan, seems to have been as an eighteenth-century rebel song. A hundred years later, Belfast writer Samuel Ferguson wrote these words, that were to make it one of the most famous romantic songs in the tradition.

Bróna McVittie sang Lark in the Clear Air on their 2020 CD The Man in the Mountain.

Iona Lane and Ranjana Ghatak sang Agar Main Panchi Hota / The Lark in the Clear Air in 2023 on their Hudson EP Cove.

Lyrics

Sir Samuel Ferguson’s The Lark in the Clear Air

Dear thoughts are in my mind
And my soul soars enchanted,
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.
For a tender beaming smile
To my hope has been granted,
And tomorrow she shall hear
All my fond heart would say.

I shall tell her all my love,
All my soul’s adoration;
And I think she will hear me
And will not say me nay.
It is this that fills my soul
With its joyous elation,
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.

Graham and Eileen Pratt sing Lark in the Clear Air

Dear thoughts are in my mind
And my soul it soars enchanted,
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.
For a tender beaming smile
To my hope has been granted,
And tomorrow she shall hear
All my fond heart would say.

I shall tell her all my love,
All my soul’s adoration,
And I think she will hear
And will not say me nay.
It is this that gives my soul
All its joyous elation,
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.

Karine Polwart sings The Lark in the Clear Air

I will tell her of my love
And my soul’s pure adoration,
And I know she will hear my voice
And she will not answer me nay.
It is this that gives my soul
All its joyous elation,
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.