On the “1812 Overture” as Lengthy Instrumental Prelude to “Danny Boy”

In my “Assorted Classical” iTunes playlist (a haphazardly arranged collection of single tracks and downloads which stand alone or can’t be bothered to join with their parent works), Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture immediately precedes The Celtic Tenors’ rendition of Danny Boy. The two pieces are performed in the same key, and start with almost the same three notes, such that, with just the right amount of audio crossfade, the 1812 Overture sounds like a grand, lengthy introduction to Danny Boy. It is quite a funny effect, especially when heard with cannons, which is really the only proper way to listen to 1812. I’m sure Danny Boy would benefit from some cannons as well.