Barry et al-

I've just pulled in after staying with Norris Dale in Worcester last night. I didn't trust myself to drive all the way back to Maine after completing the final take-down of the Lighthouse Point stage late Sunday afternoon. I did manage at least 5 hours of sleep each night from Thursday through Saturday, so I'm frankly puzzled why I was feeling I might be a danger to myself and others on the highway.

Jon Campbell's friends from the Pacific Northwest, the Fisher Poets, earned themselves a warm welcome and I for one would love to share another evening with them, maybe tell them a few stories in return from the coast of Maine.

My overall impression of the Festival? Much better managed than last year but still room for improvement. I think everyone would agree that the sound management under the tender loving care of Marc Bernier, with Dennis Cook at the board at the important Lighthouse Point stage, was vastly improved. The food for volunteers and performers was there in adequate supply and not particularly exciting, but I don't come to this Festival to eat. There was free beer for everyone at the after hours shanty shouts at the dancehall across the street; I do appreciate that and thanks to whoever managed to maneuver that one through. The CD sales is still a major headache for some performers, overly bureaucratic and inflexible; the "stystem" must be particularly frustrating for performers who reside outside of the States. The weather was very wet Saturday but that cannot be blamed on the Festival management; they did the best they could do with the back-up plan but probably many members of the general public were discouraged from coming. We almost got flooded out at the main stage but it proved to be a fine space for getting out of the weather and enjoying great music.

I was generally pleased with the range of performers, familiar faces and new ones as well, and being positioned at the stage at Lighthouse Point I got a good sample of everyone. I was favorably impressed with almost everyone. The new faces included Lee Murdock from the Great Lakes, The Northern Neck Chanteymen from Virginia, Chanterelle from French Canada, Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat from British Columbia.

The Saturday after concert shanty shout has got to be the most incredible one I've ever witnessed. These evenings in the old dance hall are always amazing but that evening the assembled throng exceeded critical mass and literally exploded! Many years people hang out in some small territory in the room but this year there would be a surge to different parts of the room as someone would begin leading a song, and supporting vocalists would move to provide harmony and volume on chorus or refrain. It was just amazing to watch, as well as listen to. Even experienced shanty singers like Jon Bartlett were saying they'd never been part of such an assembly of good singers, and anyone coming for their first time would have been literally blown away.

I did get Bonnie to lead "London Julie" late in the evening, just for Barry, and I'm sure he must of heard the chorus wafting its way from Mystic to wherever he was around San Francisco Bay. I was thinking of channeling his version of "Roller Bowler" but was too shy to give it a try. I settled for "All Coil Down" when practically everyone had left, while Geoff Kaufman was doing his level best to herd us remnants out the door.

Nor and I had a good time mentoring two of the "pirate" wenches from Brown Univesity; they've got a pack of pirates there that tours around the country and I'd even heard them sing last year at the Camden Opera House in Maine. They are young and enthusiastic, and had never heard "You Can't be a Pirate with All of Your Parts." They loved it!

As in other recent years there was very little "quiet singing" going on after hours. The YTB was practically deserted exept for Michael, Nor and me. Maybe such singing was happening somewhere but I certainly never found out where that was. Maybe I'll make an effort to see if that can be better organized next year. Or maybe there just is no interest, or more likely, can't compete with the shanty shout.

The "Conrad" was wonderful as a refuge for sleeping for me, except for the person heard retching all night in the officers' quarters. They just can't hold their liquor!

I could only catch two of the early symposiums, the one about Danish mermaid songs and Bob Walser's excellent analysis of shanty singing. I'd love to hear a report from anyone who attended the bawdy sea songs lecture.

I Think I'll take a break and have some lunch!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, back in Maine