A Walk in an Irish Garden

The songs in this collection were written and arranged for Sir James Galway as concert pieces by David Overton, his longtime arranger. They are all based to some extent on traditional Irish melodies. The first three are contrasting tunes: Spinning Song, the beautiful slow melody She Moved Through the Fair, and the more up-tempo Star of the County Down. Badinereelerie is more lighthearted work, written for Sir James Galway in 1984. Since then, he has played it countless times as it appears here, and in a version for flute and orchestra. The surprising mixture of Bach (and Handel and others) with reels and Irish traditional tunes, and even a few English traditional tunes thrown in for good measure, has delighted audiences all over the world. The piece's rousing conclusion includes an optional switch to penny whistle, a practice that, Galway writes, "I have always taken advantage of."