For the Star of County Down

Credit and major gratitude go to Amber Giles for finding this video and showing it to me.  She was my stand partner in the Eisenhower Jr. High School orchestra, and anyone who was in that orchestra with us will no doubt remember Deborah Baker Monday's For the Star of County Down.  Though never official, all of us saw it as a theme of sorts.  We memorized it (several of us more than one part), and through the rest of high school played it together at free moments during our orchestra class.  Even on my mission, on the rare occasion that I would get ahold of a violin, this song is what I played. 

I love this song.  From the very first time I heard it as a twelve-year-old looking up to the school's Concert Orchestra, I have been captivated by it.  When I hear it, I'm transported to another world and another time.  It has been the inspiration behind many of my writings and other creative endeavors. When I just need to feel something, this is the first song I think of.  

But until last week, the only time I could actually hear the particular arrangement I loved was if I played it myself or got with someone from the old orchestra.  I always dreamed of having a recording--and bonus points if the orchestra recorded was of professional quality.  I never thought I'd encounter one.

Well, Amber proved me wrong, and I was so excited to see the link to that YouTube video.  A beloved piece of my past had been recovered--in high quality digital!

But this isn't the end of the story . . . because I went ahead and converted 3:21-4:35 of the above video into a piano arrangement.  Enjoy!