Londonderry Air arranged for String Orchestra.

A big band version of the song is used as the theme for The Danny Thomas Show (a.k.a. Make Room For Daddy).

"Danny Boy" was used to represent Northern Ireland at the start of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, sung by a choir of children on the Giant?s Causeway.

On November 25, 2014, the Vancouver Canucks used the song in honor of the recently deceased Pat Quinn, who played and worked in many executive capacities for the team.

There are various theories as to the true meaning of "Danny Boy". Some listeners have interpreted the song to be a message from a parent to a son going off to war or leaving as part of the Irish diaspora.

The 1918 version of the sheet music included alternative lyrics ("Eily Dear"), with the instructions that "when sung by a man, the words in italic should be used; the song then becomes "Eily Dear", so that "Danny Boy" is only to be sung by a lady". In spite of this, it is unclear whether this was Weatherly?s intent.

Why the name Londonderry Air? Londonderry and Derry refer to the same place, a city in the north of Ireland, and also to the surrounding county. Supposedly the city of Derry was founded by St. Colmcille, although archaeological evidence shows that people were living there thousands of years earlier. There is an excellent museum in the city, which is worth a visit if you want to find out more. The name of the city was actually "Doire", corrupted to "Derry" by people who can?t pronounce Irish. It thought to derive from an Irish root meaning "oak tree".

Moving quickly along in history, about a millenium later the government of England was having a difficult time colonizing Ireland because of the fierce and warlike clans living there, especially in the north of the country, Ulster. The monarchs of England, almost all of whom were notorious cheapskates, were continually looking about for ingenious ways to conquer places without actually having to put up the money themselves, or run the risk of unpopularity if they lost. In the case of Ireland, some of these schemes of the "Brish gummit" (as it is termed nowadays in Ulster) are still producing unfortunate long-term consequences.

In 1608, King James I gave the city of Derry to the City of London corporation. I guess the deal could be summed up by saying that if the City of London could figure out a way to chase all the inhabitants out of Derry, they would be allowed to keep the loot, minus a percentage for the King of course. If they lost, well too bad. In celebration of this historic agreement, the name of Derry was officially changed to Londonderry. (For further information, check out the Northern Ireland Tourist Board?s History of Derry.)

The linguistic outcome of all this today is that, if you think that King James?s deal with the City of London was a good idea, you call both the city and county "Londonderry". If you do, you are probably a supporter of the Unionist movement that seeks to keep Ulster a part of the United Kingdom. If you think it was a bad idea, you call both "Derry", and you are probably a supporter of the Irish Nationalist cause. Or you might just be someone who thinks it?s confusing for kings to be going around changing the names of places all the time for no good reason.

You can find plenty of discussion about the political side of the question elsewhere, but here let?s look at the musical side. We have an air, collected in county Derry/Londonderry, and it doesn?t have a title. What do we call it?

If you were a proper Victorian, there?s no way you were going to call it the Londonderry Air, much less the Derry Air, because of the improper sentiments that these titles might suggest. My parents tell me that in their youth in Australia, it was usually called the Air from County Derry. (This would, I suppose, support Winston Churchill?s theory that Australia was inhabited by "convicts and Irishmen".)

My mother also sends the following information, referring to an arrangement of the tune by the Australian composer Percy Grainger:

Just another note about Danny Boy, that I grew up in Australia believing to be the Air from County Derry. We were looking through some LP?s last night (back to vinyl yet!) and found a Mercury Wing Classical Favorites stereo LP SRW18060, COUNTRY GARDENS and other favorites by Percy Grainger {played by} Eastman-Rochester Pops, Frederick Fennell, conducting. The cover notes included the following: "Irish Tune from County Derry was harmonised in memory of Irish childhood friends in Australia." Considered by many to be Grainger?s masterpiece of harmonization, the tune was collected many years ago by Miss Jane Ross of New Town, Limavady, Ireland. Grainger has set it for many instrumental combinations. So there?s another variant on the name for it. It doesn?t say who wrote the notes, but the bits in quotes for each of the works on the record are Grainger?s original comments.

The references to Londonderry Air that I?ve seen don?t go back any earlier than the late 1930s. For example, the Glenn Miller Orchestra recorded Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) in February 1940. Bing Crosby?s version was recorded in July 1941 (reference). (So many different things I could check up on!) Londonderry was an important American naval base during WWII, but the US hadn?t come into the war in 1940.

Need an anthem fast? They are ALL in my store! All my anthem arrangements are also available for Orchestra, Recorders, Saxophones, Wind, Brass and Flexible band. If you need an anthem urgently for an instrumentation not in my store, let me know via e-mail, and I will arrange it for you FOC if possible! keithterrett@gmail.com

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The fifth of a series of five volumes that are geared toward smaller lever harps with a bass range that goes to the G which is one and � octaves below middle C. Volume five includes songs for Lent, Easter and Pentecost. These tunes have the added benefit of being arranged in keys that are accessible to most vocal ranges, which is especially helpful when playing along with congregational singing. Lever changes are indicated with diamond shaped notes. Some tunes have no lever changes, some have a lot. The left hand in a few of the tunes is quite active. 75 tunes, in all.
Table of Contents:
In the Hour of Trial, We Give Immortal Praise, Soldiers of Christ, Arise, How Firm a Foundation, Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone, Lord Jesus Christ, My Life, My Light, Near to the Heart of God, Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken, Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee, Lenten Hymn, Break Thou the Bread of Life, O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High, Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face, Tell Me the Story of Jesus, Forty Days and Forty Nights, Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus, O Day of Rest and Gladness, Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above, Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying, The Lord Jehovah Reigns, Come, Thou Almighty King, Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment, I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath, Ah, Holy Jesus, According to Thy Gracious Word, All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, Jesus, Priceless Treasure, Before Jehovah's Awful Throne, There Is a Balm in Gilead, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, Bread of Heaven, on Thee We Feed, Awake, My Soul, and With the Sun, The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord, O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus, Come, Christians, Join to Sing, A Wonderful Savior Is Jesus My Lord, I Am Thine, O Lord, I Am His, and He Is Mine, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Amazing Grace!, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, Jesus Paid It All, There Is a Green Hill Far Away, Were You There?, Behold the Savior of Mankind, At Calvary, Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain, The Old Rugged Cross, In the Cross of Christ I Glory, All Glory, Laud and Honor, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, And Can It Be That I Should Gain?, The Day of Resurrection, Go To Dark Gethsemane, Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, Jesus Lives, and So Shall I, Christ, the Lord Is Risen Today, Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow, The Head That Once Was Crowned, My Savior's Love, The Strife Is O'er, The Battle Done, Christ Arose!, Never Further than Thy Cross, Beneath the Cross of Jesus, Let Us Break Bread Together, Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?, Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands, What Wondrous Love Is This?, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today, Loved With Everlasting Love, Low in the Grave He Lay, O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing, Welcome, Happy Morning