Down East was composed in 1919; the text is by Ives. It is perhaps partly derived from a lost
Down East Overture for orchestra of about 1897. The song opens in a kind of Impressionistic haze, a texture Ives often used in songs evoking childhood memories; and the whole piece, with its suggestions of Irish ballad and hymn-tune, is an essay in memory, ending in a quote from
Nearer, my God, to Thee.
from notes by Calum MacDonald © 2008
