- Artist – Album: Phil Driscoll – Spirit Of America
In honor of Memorial Day, I’m sharing something patriotic. Phil Driscoll recorded a musical adaptation of the poem “High Flight”, written by John Magee. Magee was 19 years old at the time of writing; he was an American who crossed the Canadian border to fly with the Royal Canadian Air Force in WWII against Germany early, as America hadn’t entered the war yet.
Three months after he sent the poem to his parents, he was killed in a mid-air collision.
The adapted song itself is very nice. Driscoll isn’t exactly known for holding back, but he gives a surprisingly understated performance on this track; it’s almost sublime.
I’m also including a full copy of the poem below.
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunwards I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a thousand things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air,
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Google Play Music Link: https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=B4vjfirwrgu76tndkfvv2m7blre&tid=song-Tqgokoeoowrvyekengmu4snulgi
Previous Music Monday Selections: https://kevinianbryan.com/musicmonday.html