Celtic Woman: "Danny Boy"

Okay, so it's not the most original idea on St. Patrick's Day -- in fact, it's about as traditional as it gets -- but it's still really freaking awesome.

Penned by Englishman Frederic Weatherly in 1910, the lyrics to "Danny Boy" are set to the tune of "Londonderry Air," the victory anthem of Northern Ireland. The lyrics have something to do with a man leaving; some say it's a mother's song to her son going off to war; others insist it's a love song. Whatever the intent of the words, it's a beautiful song about some dude named Danny going off somewhere and returning to find the narrator dead and waiting for Danny to join her.

Er...It's prettier when it rhymes.

Celtic Woman is in fact an ensemble of multiple women performers formed by a guy associated with the Irish Riverdance. (Apparently singular vs. plural didn't come into play in the naming process.) Nine women have rotated in and out, with four or five in the group at a time, and they've made five records that have sold 6 million copies worldwide. One of the performers dubbed the group "Riverdance for the voice," which sounds about right if you lump all Celtic stuff together.

This particular performance is breathtaking. The a cappella, four-part harmony is perfect. (I even checked their ending pitch against their first pitch. Dead on.) It would be easy to write it off as somewhat cheesy, but c'mon -- today we're all Irish. And when it comes to live performance, who can say no to a castle, torches and coordinated ball gowns? Amiright? Enjoy.

"Danny Boy," performed by Celtic Woman.
Lyrics by Frederic Weatherly (1910).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!