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

Contact Publisher Related Scores

Three LatinElegies to Lesbiais a setting of three poems written by the ancient Roman poet, Gaius ValeriusCatullus (84-54 B.C.E.). His muse in these poems is understood to beLesbia, the name believed to have been given by Catullus to his mistress.Lesbia was really Clodia, the sexually promiscuous wife of proconsul QuintusCaecilius Metellus Celer. Clodia was said to have many lovers, and Catullus?torment and obsession for her is well documented in 13 of his poems where thename, Lesbia, is used. His first poem addressed to Lesbia (Catullus 51) is a freetranslation of a poem by the ancient Greek poet, Sappho. Scholars havesuggested that Catullus chose the name, Lesbia, because of his affinity forSappho, who it is believed was a lesbian.

Odie et Amo (Catullus 85), one of the mostcelebrated elegiac couplets composed by Catullus, has inspired many composers withits duality of emotions. The most well-known setting is from Carl Orff?s Catulli Carmina, part of Trionfi, themusical triptych that also includes the Carmina Burana andTrionfo di Afrodite. Unlike Orff?s driving rhythms of outwardlyexpressive anguish, my setting is a more introspective interpretation. It is asif the music is surrendering to the mercurial personalities that Catullus andall humans possess, the tortured ability to hate and love at the same time.

Lesbia mi dicit semper male (Catullus 92) consists of two elegiaccouplets. Catullus? earlier poem, 83,brings some context to 92. In thefirst part of 83, Catullus says:

Lesbia keeps insulting me in front of her husband:

thisfills the fatuous idiot with delight.

Mule, doyou perceive nothing? If she shut up and ignored me

that?dshow healthy indifference;?

In 92, Catullus expounds on the idea of whyLesbia insults him in front of her husband. Catullus reckons that he is alwayscursing her, and he loves her. She always curses him, so she must love him aswell. In his desperation, Catullus uses his wit and humor to reason that hisobsessive love for Lesbia is reciprocated. This setting of 92 uses incessant driving rhythms in the women?s voices to paint thewords, ?Lesbia mi dicit semper male nec tacetumquam de me? (Lesbia always speaks ill of me, never shuts up about me). The repeating rhythmsreturn in the men?s voices when Catullus says he does the same, ?quia sunt totidem mea: deprecor illamassidue? (?it?s the same with me: I?m continually complaining.) The piececomes to a final rest after Catullus realizes the he will always be cursed tolove her.

Mea Lesbia (Catullus 87) also consists of twoelegiac couplets. Catullus was only one of Lesbia?s many lovers, and he oftenwrote of his jealousy and disdain for her unfaithful actions. This elegy waswritten at a time when Lesbia had been particularly cruel toward Catullus.Despite being broken hearted, his obsession with her never waned. In hisdespair and desperation, he basically says, ?My love for you is so great thatno other woman could possibly even know what love is.? This setting of 87 returns to a more introspectivenature where Catullus surrenders his love forever to Lesbia.