Celebrating 100 Years of Danny Boy
It is 100 years since a simple song was released to the public. A song that unites music legends Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Johnny Cash and The Pogues.
One song that Elvis loved so much he had it played at his funeral. Yes, it’s the one and only Danny Boy. And it is celebrating its 100th birthday today, June 21.
The song’s melody was first heard in Ireland in the streets of Limavady, County Londonderry where it was known as The Londonderry Air.
However it wasn’t until 1910 that Frederick Weatherly, an Englishman, composed the lyrics for this melody. His famous words were published in 1913, making this year the song’s 100th anniversary.
The city of Derry-Londonderry, UK City of Culture 2013 is pulling out all the stops to commemorate one of its finest musical exports.
An extravaganza called Music City will see the streets of Derry become one giant performance space, with hundreds of free musical performances across squares, neighborhoods, venues, churches, offices and workplaces.
A massive outdoor performance of ‘Danny Boy’ will be the highlight of Music City and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of one of the world’s favorite songs.
The song is a sweet lament from a parent to a son who is leaving home to travel far away. At 12:30 pm today, the children, adults and choirs of Derry/Londonderry will come together for what is expected to be the largest-ever outdoor performance of Danny Boy.
