"Can it be that "The Old Red Duster" is unknown in the Yankee Provinces? Got a lot of quizzical looks, not to mention silence, during its rendition during an informal sing"

Wotcha, I've hardly ever heard it sung in these parts much less other songs representing the "Tin Can" fleet, we could use more exposure. As a former Navy Corpsman, during the Viet Nam conflict Neil, my singing partner has an obsession for Navy & Merchant songs.


John from Elsie's, the Johnson Girl that leads "Cornish Men are Fishermen" is Bonnie, she does a great job on it, eh!


Walt's question; "The question is : Are venues like Mystic providing a themed entertainment, or shepherding a resource? Are the "fans" audience or participants? The line is soft and frequently blurred"

The festival "in general" should cover all bases, the fans are your participating audiences,as well as fringe performers, staff & volenteers & the performers & others are also your shepherds. Leave the "Themed" stuff to the pirates, though having Johnny Depth there deep sixed along with a dead horse as a kids event might be appropriate


As to the 'shanty only' final concert as a send off. To my mind in theory Jerry it sounds well enough but not so much in in practice. As Marc points out some don't do shanties at all (Why not, it's a maritime festival who'd be at an Irish fest when they can't put forth an Irish tune or song?? Ya, I know?). There are some gray ares & exceptions, an above example was the Buckingham Lining Bar & Track Gang of railroad workers, there should be more exceptions of that ilk & less exceptions of others. A fasinating exception. They did sing work songs that had choruses that even a babe could join along with. True, there should be more than just random connection though, I don't think a shantey man belongs at an Irish fest just because he sings a couple of sea songs that may have some Irish origins, BUT! That's up to the festival event planners & in the reading of how attendence is by the voting of full or empty seats. But you are right in the steering of sing alongs for an ending, still s alippery slope. Lead by example, encourage that (shanties only) but don't demand it of those that can't handle it, let them lead with what they are strong in & with what they were hired to do. Remember performers get paid to perform for those that pay to hear them.

As for the after concert sing in the German Club. For those of you who complain about slow songs or ballads being sung, it's your sing, don't quack when it happens, again lead by example, give possitive feedback where it's deserved & figure it out when it's not, how to be supportive. My take on performers at that sing is that it's they all should be taking part if they were paid & took a part in the fest earlier in the day. It is as much a part of the festival as the concerts & workshops & as a paid performer they should be using their talent, judgment, support & mostly their voices (at least for one song) or bones. Last yr there was a great session happening downstairs at the same time-to bad it was strictly all Celtic music??. Which brings me to performers leaving to huddle elsewhere long before the sing dies down.
I've always been pulled here. One night I missed what was a very lovely sing by some folks that I would've cherished hearing & probably won't hear again. I do believe that paid performers bare a responsibility to see the pub sing through, at least up until it starts to fade on it's own & not because a bunch of the strong singers "left the room", then go off & do what's to do. I don't usually leave the pub (& I'm not a paid performer) until it starts to die because I feel it's not fair to those that come to the pub all "juice up" from the concert. They won't stay up late (where's the harm), they want to sing along (why wouldn't they), some want to try out singing in that enviorment for the 1st time & want to see how the seasoned folks respond to them (where'd they go). If all the grand or strong singers leave the pub sing early, it will die & fade faster than a fart. You/they can't leave it in the hands of less seasoned & expect it to run on the weight of it's on momentum.
Ok, I'd better stop here, with that.

The fisher poets will be having their day & fest, all by themselves, what's up with that? Sorry Jon & the best of luck, I only can get to afford Mystic once a yr (Barely at that), I wish you guys were part of this festival, it's where you belong with your berthern, you're as much a part of the culture as the music is. In the past I've always made my thoughts known about the "Poets". I don't care that much for poetry even though as a much much younger man I had my poetry published by others. Still you have the poems of C. Fox Smith, Harry Kemp & Burt Franklin Jenness being put to music & heard during the fest. We even had a great rendering of the sea related work's of Kipling at the symposium by Heather Wood, excellent Heather. You guys were missed.

I'm not gonna turn this into a "what's wrong with the festival" because there's far to much that's right & mighty with the festival, it is a class act & it's a one of a kind, I'm just tryinbg to give a response.

I would love for the festival to run longer (am I alone amongst just a few?) & just the adding back to the schedule the Thrusday eveing & the addition of the Friday morning symposium was more than a delight & a treat (& very well attended I might add & note). The Friday symposium was very well attended & extremely well done, kado's to all. On track, on point, on topic & spot on. I would argue with those that think the history, origins, the folklore & etc of the songs & getting them right (if Huntinngton can't get it right "what chance for a broken down squatter like me") are more important than the songs being sung though that's for a different day & a differennt topic & debate.

Greg (I miss your presence & ditest your "exile"), your ideas (always worth at the very least a listen) leaning towards a week long are well worth a debate (but where??, we've been down that road before) as well as the "artist in residence" idea. There are 'shanty camps', there are many "folk weeks' that are well attended in the different fields of folk music & folklore, why not in 'sea music' &/or 'maritime folklore' &/or other maritime arts, cultures & crafts. Scrimshaw, knot making, blacksmithing, sail mending, coping, ships jointery, blah, blah, blah. The resources are already in place as well as the ability, means & methods to make it just another "One Of A Kind" program/fest. I'd love to see the festival do more than shanty demo's onboard, those just touch the surface or the how's, why's & when's but it would take so much more time to dive below to get to the meat of the motion but that would do well during a week long primer/premier. Then there would also be room for those that are well schooled & educated enough to teach & show the rest of us underlings just "how to do it & get it right" instead of complaint/compliants. And here again is a chance to appeal to "the youth" (I know, you already do that with the youth but not in an enviorment that would be blowing about here) & to bring them along. Sea music & poetry is an international language all onto it's own, there's enough there for a week long workshop.

Ok, I promise to behave now

Barry