Song List: A Song About Me A Worthy Woman Above the Hills of Time All In The Name Of Jesus Alleluia (Schubert) Amazing Grace Because He Lives Because You Are God's Chosen Ones The Birthday of the King The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power The Body of Our Lord Born Again Bread Of The World In Mercy Broken Bridal Prayer Bring Back The Springtime Chosen of the Lord Christ Living Within You Clean Before My Lord Come, Praise the Lord! Communion Song Eternal Life Flee As A Bird For Those Tears I Died Gentle Like Jesus The Gift Of Love Give Me Jesus Give Them All To Jesus Grace Greater Than Our Sin Great Is Thy Faithfulness Have Thine Own Way, Lord! He Carried My Cross He Died for Me He Shall Feed His Flock He Turned The Water Into Wine He Was There All The Time He's a Wonderful Lord The Heavens Declare His Glory Help Us Accept Each Other Here's My Life Here's One His Eye Is On The Sparrow Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty The Holy City How Big Is God How Quiet Is the Night How Real! Hush Now I Am His And He Is Mine I Am the Vine I Am Willing, Lord I Heard About A Man I Just Came To Praise The Lord I Know Where I'm Going I Saw the Lord, and All Beside Was Darkness I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked I Want Jesus to Walk with Me I Wonder as I Wander I Wonder Why? If Jesus Had Not Come If My People Will Pray If with All Your Hearts If You Need a Helping Hand I'm Goin' Home In Jesus' Name In the Image of God Into My Heart It Was His Love It Won't Stop Ivory Palaces Jesus Is Lord Of All Jesus Revealed in Me Just A Closer Walk With Thee Just Because I Asked Lead Me To Calvary Learning to Learn Life Indeed Like A Child Little Baby Jesus Lonely Voices The Lord Is My Light Lord, Listen to Your Children Lord, Show the Way Lord, Take Control of Me The Lord's Prayer Love Came Down At Christmas Love Theme Love Was When Marvelous Mystery May the Mind of Christ Mirror More (Than You'll Ever Know) My Cup Overflows My Jesus, I Love Thee My Tribute The New 23rd New Wind Blowin' No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus No Power of My Own Nothing ... Everything O Father in Heaven O Glorious Love! O Holy Night O Lord Most Holy O Rest in the Lord O The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus Of Love I Sing Oh, What Love! Open the Gates of the Temple The Palms Praise The Lord, He Never Changes Reach Out to Your Neighbor Ring The Bells Rise Again Savior, My Heart Is Thine Seek Ye First Shepherd Of Love Something Beautiful So Great Is His Mercy Spirit Of God Strength to My Soul Sweet Is the Name of Jesus Take God By the Hand Take My Life Ten Thousand Angels Thank You for These Gifts Thanks to God That Someday Is Now That's Why We Are Beautiful Then shall the righteous shine forth There's A Quiet Understanding They Led Him Away This Is My Commandment This Is The Time I Must Sing The Touch Of The Master's Hand The Twenty-Third Psalm (Malotte) Until Then Wedding Song Welcome Home, Children What God Hath Promised What Grace Is This! What Have They Done? Whither Thou Goest Who Are You to Disagree? Who Is This Boy? Who Shall Separate Us? Who Will Go? Worthy Is The Lamb Yes, God Is Real You're Something Special

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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