Comments on: UCLA Seminar: The Music of Rufus Wainwright #6

By: cjburns

cjburns — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:19:43 +0000

Well the tune is actually known as the “Londonderry Air”. You may be interested in the following links as it will provide you with the songs history and where ‘Danny’ came in…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londonderry_Air

Hope that helps, Chris.

By: Roger Bourland

Roger Bourland — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 17:10:53 +0000

CJB: thanks! tell me, do you call the [original] song “Danny Boy” or “Oh Danny Boy” or is it “O Danny Boy” ?

By: Roger Bourland

Roger Bourland — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:33:40 +0000

[regarding students ignorance about a lot of music]I had a class 2 years ago that didn’t know who Kurt Cobain was…
oy!!

By: cjburns

cjburns — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:24:39 +0000

Mmm this may be irrelevant, but as i did not read it in the blogg, i just wanted to say that i recently watched an interview with Rufus on TV where he explained that The Art Teacher was written about a conversasion he had with a man at a gym. The man, who was an art teacher, told Rufus about a female student who had a crush on him. Rufus later wrote this song thinking about the student growing up but remembering the crush while admitting he had a crush on the teacher himself.

Also as I live in N.Ireland (the national anthem is Danny Boy) I was amused at the fact that your reference to the song puzzled your students so much. Eva Cassidy performed a fantastic version of this song which is well worth looking out for.

By: Roger Bourland

Roger Bourland — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 06:51:19 +0000

But still::: there aren’t many people singing like this these day. One can find many classical examples of this style of singing. Rap is the antithesis of this really: all words, not much melody.

By: twarner

twarner — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:32:01 +0000

Man, I wish I were in your class. You sound like an engaging and passionate teacher!

As for songs that open or have long sustain notes… I can think of “Beyong the Sea.”

Somewheeeeeeere
Beyooooooooond
the seeeeeeeaaa
Somewheeeeree
wainting for meeeee…

Of course, Bobby Darin’s version minimalizes this. Other versions (slower versions) drag these out a little more.

And however random this reference may be, “Mountain Song” the first song on the South Park Soundtrack, also has long and sustain notes in the song’s beginning.

“Theeeere’e
a buuuuuunch of
biiiiirds
in the skyyyyyyyy…

Ending in “toooooooown.”

Listen… you’ll see.