"Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter
Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional
Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". In 1910, in Bath,
Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic
Weatherly initially wrote the words to "Danny Boy" to a
tune other than "Londonderry Air". After his Irish-born
sister-in-law Margaret Enright Weatherly (known as
Jess) in the United States sent him a copy of
"Londonderry Air" in 1913 (an alternative version of
the story has her singin...(+)
"Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter
Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional
Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". In 1910, in Bath,
Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic
Weatherly initially wrote the words to "Danny Boy" to a
tune other than "Londonderry Air". After his Irish-born
sister-in-law Margaret Enright Weatherly (known as
Jess) in the United States sent him a copy of
"Londonderry Air" in 1913 (an alternative version of
the story has her singing the air to him in 1912 with
different lyrics), Weatherly modified the lyrics of
"Danny Boy" to fit the rhyme and meter of "Londonderry
Air". Weatherly gave the song to the vocalist Elsie
Griffin, who made it one of the most popular songs in
the new century. In 1915, Ernestine Schumann-Heink
produced the first recording of "Danny Boy". Jane Ross
of Limavady is credited with collecting the melody of
"Londonderry Air" in the mid-19th century from a
musician she encountered.
Various suggestions exist as to the true meaning of
"Danny Boy". Some have interpreted the song to be a
message from a parent to a son going off to a war or
uprising (as suggested by the reference to "pipes
calling glen to glen") or leaving as part of the Irish
diaspora.
The 1918 version of the sheet music with Weatherly's
printed signature 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. The song has been
performed by a diverse range of male singers, including
Irish tenor John McCormack, Jim Reeves, Mario Lanza,
Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash,
Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Shane MacGowan, Jackie
Wilson, Daniel O'Donnell, Harry Belafonte, Tom Jones,
John Gary, Frank Patterson, Thomas Quasthoff, Stuart
Burrows, Jacob Collier, Harry Connick Jr., and comedian
Peter Kay amongst many others. All used the original
lyrics with slight variations.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Boy).
I created this Interpretation of "Danny Boy" /
"Londonderry Air" for Woodwind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, Bb
Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon).
SHEET MUSIC