John Ireland - Downland Suite 

I found this today after reading a book about B.Britten. Simply stunning.

Discovery can happen at any age of life and enlightenment too. I have heard this music before and felt an association with it, as it struck chords within me about how I felt at various times in my life, when I have relied upon music to keep my life floating enough to go on. Wether that is a cure for melacholy or something I don't know, but I stumbled upon this name today and this same Elergy, and can now put name and more to such a lovely and meaningfull piece of music. Thank you this all.

I found the Elegy most moving. Thank you for posting

Garforth's rendition of this music has always been my favorite since I got it on that early Chandos CD. Thank you for making it available here.

You all do know that Ireland wrote that amazingly poignant hymn 'My Song is Love Unknown"....our church uses it for Pentecost every year, also that wonderful but less well known Carol for Christmas "The Holy Boy"..........

I've never considered myself English. My father was German and that part of Germany where he was born is, in its way, beautiful. So, very early on in my experience of listening to music of the classical kind I was surprised by the emotional response I felt to the music, of all people, Percy Grainger. It sounded so English to me - it evoked a feeling of a mysterious, mythical, pastoral, idyllic England - a land that didn't exist except in my emotional or may be spiritual being. Vaughan-Williams, Butterworth and this piece by Ireland all evoke, to greater or lesser extents this feeling. Rachmaninov and Bach trigger different responses, as does Ravel. Music goes straight to the heart of ones soul - bypassing any blocks or filters that stop other prompts.

I've been searching for this for days, I remembered it had Dilly Dilly in it and then I discovered the Lavender Blue connection. But at last I have discovered the version I was after. Here it is placed in the middle of this wonderful suite, this wonderful English snsemble music. The landscape pours through my consciousness. It makes me happy.

I love sitting up Chanctonbury ring playing this threw my head phones laying back and unwinding on a nice summers evening its so fitting considering he only lived in washinghton at the foot of Chanctonbury. I can see how he got his inspration

For whatever reason, this reminds me of William Lloyd-Webber’s “Serenade for Strings”, an equally lovely piece.

Where have I heard the Minuet before? It's soooo sweet, so pretty.

Does anyone else hear Nimrod in the Elegy and Bach 6th cello suite in the minuet?

11:57 (book mark for excerpt 3)

11:30 All-State Viola Excerpt