Youtube Assignment

James Galway-Annie's Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkUpto_ohEc)

This is the name of the youtube video I selected. It is a celtic song which I really love and that is why I chose it for the assignment. Sir James Galway plays this piece, along with a band behind him. Sir James Galway is one of the first floutists to make an international career as a soloist for himself. He studied under John Franics at the Royal College of Music and then went to the Guildhall School of Music studying under Geoffery Gilbert. He then went to the Paris Conservatoire and studied under both Gaston Crunelle and Jean-Pierre Rampal. After this incredible education he became an orchestral player for 15 years. He was born in Belfast and launched his solo career in 1975. He has sold over 30 million albums and has made frequent television appearances. He is now nearly 70 years old.

The piece I chose by James Galway is "Annie's Song" which he first recorder in 1978. The piece was written originally be John Denver. This piece is quite repetetive, but still very beautiful. The band in the background makes it sound almost like an italian piece, but if you focus on the flute alone, you hear beautiful long notes and a perfect tone. It is very hard to play long notes on a flute and have them sound perfect from beginning to end but James Galway manages to do this. This is especially difficult to do when the notes get higher as it takes more air. The simplicity of the song is actually what makes it difficult to play as you have to play every note to perfection. The rythms are always perfect and always sound the same. He is a very consistent player and you can tell he has clearly been playing the flute for a long time and knows his instrument well. The band behind himd does make this song sound better, but his playing is the main focal point and it is really amazing.