Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) - Trombone quintet by Robert Coil Small Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

This arrangement is for trombone quintet. The melody is from the Irish county of Londonderry and was collected by Jane Ross and published in 1855. In 1913, Frederic Weatherly wrote the English lyrics that are used with the melody. Since that time the tune is often called “Danny Boy”. The lyrics of the first verse paint a word pictue of a very pleasant scene."But come ye back when summer's in the meadow, Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow, It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,— Oh, Danny boy, Oh Danny boy, I love you so!"The lyrics of the second verse lead to speculation that there is a message about a person going off to war and the prospect of being mourned by loved ones."If I am dead, as dead I well may be,Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying,And kneel and say an Avé there for me." Depending on the performers point of view or the occasion, the piece may be performed as quite slow and melancholy, or brighter and more uplifting. There is some debate about whether the meter of the original melody was 4/4 or 3/4, so that gave me the idea of having a transition from 4/4 to a waltz tempo setting. The ending takes another stylistic change to a swing rhythm, before closing with the final phrase in a slow 4/4.For a complete list of Polished Brass arrangements on Sheet Music Press, visit Polished Brass Publications or search Sheet Music Plus for “ROBERT COIL POLISHED BRASS”.The arranger, Bob Coil, is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of music, where he studied bass trombone with Betty Glover. Dr. Coil is the leader of the Bones of Cincinnatus trombone ensemble and the Polished Brass quintet in Cincinnati, OH.