sea shanties and sailing music

[phanakapan]

stuck out in seaford bay in the cold and dark waiting for more water and for the ferry to b***** off,- we attempted to keep spirits up by singing suitable songs but got no further than 'what shall we do with the drunken sailor'.Had to keep it clean as well as we had our young daughters aboard(although they managed to be 'saltier' than us). Anybody got a stock of 'sailing songs'? any books to recommend? any modern versions? (dirty or clean!) And am I alone (apart from Aubrey and Maturin) in thinking that an essential piece of kit on a boat for a long voyage is a musical instrument other than the foghorn (mines a violin).

 

[Guest]

My favourite sailing song is a Russian pirate song: "When we return to Portland". Fantastic melody, haunting words ('proper' poetry).

By coincidence I first heard it as my wife and I were sailing past Portland Bill. My wife was steering and singing it, not knowing that we were sailing past Portland as she sang.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Give us a chorus.

Come on, don't be shy, sing us a verse or two.

 

[Paulka]

Have a look at :

http://www.chasse-maree.com/cgi-bin/chasse-maree.storefront/FR

The froggies have a lot of CD's, and booklets ..... in english as well!

.... And enjoy the long winter time.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Nice to know Fred Phanakapan is still alive and well up there in the north-west, though I remember it spelled with an F. Am i right?

The Royal Cruising Club has a club song book of sea songs for amateur sailors. It is very popular with members.

There was another book I remember coming across in the Warrant Officers Mess in HMS Implacable. Published by the Society for the preservation of traditional sea-songs and one of a numbered edition printed privately in Lubeck, it would have brought many a blush to a maiden's cheek. has anyone seen a copy of this recently?

William Cooper

 

[Guest]

Re: Give us a chorus.

It's in Russian! The poet is Filatov, and it's sung by Okudzhava. Here's a very rough translation (sorry I didn't try to make it rhyme etc., the original is 100 times better, and the tune is very haunting etc.):

The night before the storm St. Elmo’s Fire burns on the masts
And warms our souls for all the past years.
When we return to Portland we shall be as humble as sheep.
Yes but a return to Portland shall never be our fate.

So what, if there’s no return to Portland: let us sail under the black sail,
Let the rum be strong – all the rest is nonsense.
When we return to Portland, by God I’ll confess it all myself.
Yes but a return to Portland shall never be our fate.

So what, if there’s no return to Portland: let the merchant die of fear.
Neither God nor the Devil will help save his ships
When we return to Portland – I swear I’ll run up the scaffold myself
Yes but return to Portland shall never be our fate.

So what, if there’s no return to Portland, we’ll share the gold like brothers
Since others’ cash isn’t acquired without labour.
When we return to Portland, our homeland will embrace us,
But please God let us never return to Portland!

 

[Ohdrat]

Does Pirate Jenny as sung by Nina Simone count?

 

[tyger]

Stan Hughil (spelling?), "The Last of the Chantymen", wrote an excellent book on sea shanties. He gives background and explains some of the more obscure references.
I would guess it is out of print but a search through a good reference library should turn a copy up.

 

[Trevethan]

Try llooking for CD's by the Pyrates Royale. A very amusing bunch based in Maryland. They do all sorts of shanties and the like. You can probably find them throught the Maryland Renaissance Faire www.renfest.com.

Another good band is a group from Newfoundland called Great Big Sea. They sing a lot of nautical folk music, as well as some slightly more contemporary material. Rant and roar is a good one.

One of my personal favourite shanties is Barretts Privateers. Its a modern song, but tells with a high degree of accuracy, in a traditional style, the fate of a fisherman who joined the crew of Antelope in the last part of the 18th Centurey.

I have a digital version on my PC, but haven't been able to find a CD.

Hope this helps!

Good luck

 

[Guest]

Probably not what you're looking for but there's a couple of very good CDs called 'A Musical Evening with the Captain' which have much of the music mentioned in the O'Brian books on them.

Nice to see a fellow fan - Captain Aubrey himself seems to be stalking the boards in person just now... discussion of possible film is going on towards the bottom of thread entitled 'Fruitbat's boat'...

"El manana es nuestro, companero..."

 

[Chris_Rayner]

Sundry resources on sea songs to be found at www.shanty.org. In three languages, one of which is English. All you could wish for.

Violins are good, but lack the depth that chords can supply. I recommend a melodeon. Have a look at: http://www.hohner.fr/accordeon/diatoniques/marine/cap_horn.htm

The business.

Chris

 

[peterb]

I have "Sea Songs and Shanties" collected by Captain W. B. Whall. Originally published in 1910, the 6th edition (1927) has been reprinted several times. Mine was printed in 1986 by Brown, Son & Ferguson of Glasgow.

The final paragraph of the author's Introduction, though, is a little sad -

" Since 1872 I have not heard a Shanty or Song worth the name. Steam spoilt them. A younger generation of seamen took the place of the old sea-dog. (In my first year or two at sea, I was shipmates with old men-of-war's men who had served at sea before 1815, the year of peace, and who were of the old school.) With the new generation, true Sea Songs and Shanties practically disappeared. Echoes of them, it is true, still exist, but that is all. The real thing has gone for ever."

Gone but not forgotten?

 

[Abaker]

Just bought a new copy of Stan Hugill: Shanties from the Seven Seas at the local chandlery. Excellent. This edition was published in 1994 by Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave, Mystic CT 06355, USA. ISBN 0-913372-70-6. Paper. 428pp. Our copy is from Mystic's 2nd printing 1996. It's likely still in print as Mystic is a large and very active museum which demonstrates the use of shanties in a ship on site.