Hello all,

As I will be heading to Ireland for vacation tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to share a performance of an Irish song by the classical flutist Sir James Galway. Galway, nicknamed “The Man with the Golden Flute,” is from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is widely regarded as the greatest flute player in history. He regularly tours the globe, performing in the greatest concert halls in the world and completing commissions from today’s most well-known composers. (Lord of the Rings fans can also hear his playing in all three of the LOTR movies!)

In today’s performance, Galway plays “Danny Boy,” an Irish tune based on a ballad written by lawyer and songwriter Frederic Weatherly. (Weatherly, ironically, was a Brit who never stepped foot in Ireland.) The song emerged when Weatherly’s ballad was set to the Irish tune of “Londonderry Air.” Londonderry is a town in Northern Ireland that has seen many years of violence as a result of the conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Enjoy, and I will be back in two weeks!

T