George Herbert (RIP) was a Cape Horner. By the time I met him & recorded him (late 70's) he had long given up the sea. He was a singer, musician & collector or sea music. He stated out as a runaway kid of 12 or 13 in the baltic trades as a cabinboy sometime around WWI. He took his instruments (don't know when he started on them) to sea with him; concertina, harmonica & alto uke. George was born in England around the turn of the last century & eventually married & made West Geelong, Australia his home. He sang with & without his instruments & played tunes. He sang both traditional songs (some versions of which I never heard from others or seen in print) & as well as contempory songs. He espicially enjoyed Tom Lewis's 'Sailor Prayer' but couldn't bring himself to sing "with 'BEEK' as sharp as razors" instead singing the traditionl phrase "with 'WINGS' as sharp as razors".

Bob Roberts sang with & without his instruments as does the 13 yr old kid he took on as his apprentence, Danny Spooner.

Barry