Celtic Classics

"The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond" is a traditional Scottish song, with various adaptations dating to the eighteenth century. The "low road" refers to death, of either a lover or the executed soldiers in Bonnie Prince Charlie's 1746 rebellion against the British Crown. "Oh, Danny Boy" is an Irish lament, likely for a son gone off to war, with lyrics written by English lawyer Frederic Weatherly in 1910, and set to the traditional balled "Londonderry Air." Both the Scots and the Irish have many rousing melodies, but two of the most famous are these sorrowful tunes. There are almost limitless versions -- solo, chorale, instrumental, and even rock. Here are some examples (don't miss the two non-traditional arrangements at the bottom of the post):

Comments

[cory]

I'm going to nominate this as the best version of Danny Boy. I have yet to hear a better one. John Gary was one of the great under-appreciated singers (Sinatra thought so, too). His Molly Malone is also the best I've ever heard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PBtCmGrJ8U

[Alex Lubet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4vumyjk0X8