C. Fox Smith Sea Poems (PermaThread)

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 08:19 PM

Not a pen name.
Both Chudleigh and Candish are old English families, mentions in historical records. Some were knighted, e. g., Lord Candish mentioned in litigation in 1624.
Some modern Chudleigh's have had an orchard west of Toronto, Canada, for three generations, and operate a commercial bakery. Ted Chudleigh is a member of the Ontario legislature.

Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710) was a poet, famous for "To the Ladies," speaking of servitude to a husband...

Then but to look, to laugh, or speak,
Will the nuptial contract break.
Like mutes, she signs alone must make,
And never any freedom take:
But still be govern'd by a nod,
And fear her husband as a God:
Him still must serve, him still obey,
And nothing act and nothing say,
But what her haughty lord thinks fit,
Who with the power, has all the wit.
.....

Chudleigh is an old wool market town in Devon.

Subject: Lyr. Add: Jack Ashore - Ladysmith, 1900
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Sep 09 - 09:57 PM

Lyr. Add: Jack Ashore - Ladysmith, 1900
Cicely Fox Smith. Boer War Poem

Ten thousand British, twenty thousand foe,
Boers on a hilltop, shelling all they know,
Navy men and navy guns quick and cool to aim.
Fit and fresh from off the seas to play a Tommy's game.

Chorus-
On shore, off shore, a man in fighting trim,
Jack ashore and Jack afloat, it's all the same to him,
Jack afloat and Jack ashore, the same thro' thick and thin,
On the sea and off the sea, he always fights to win.

Bluejackets cheery hearty, true and strong,
Come to fight for England and bring the guns along.
Lords of all the outer deep bold in word and deed,
Full of fight from off the sea to help in Tommy's need.

Chorus:

Silence on the hilltop, guns that shell no more,
Shew that Jack the sailor's man of war ashore,
Here's to him by land and sea - men and guns and all,
Hearts of oak from off the seas to come to Tommy's call.

Eastern Province Herald, November 2, 1908.

From the days of British agression.

http://blogs.theherald.co.za/100yrs/category/jack-tar/

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Sep 09 - 10:08 PM

The Herald, South Africa, is online. I haven't checked their archives for poems.
I believe the paper is in Port Elizabeth.

(aggression, aggression, agression, etc. etc.)

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Sep 09 - 12:29 PM

Q-

This poem was first published in Men of Men in 1900. Here's the reference in the Oldpoetry Website where some 625 C. Fox Smith poems are now on-line: Click here for website!

She certainly churned out some patriotic verse at the time.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Oct 09 - 12:09 PM

One of the newspapers which has earlier versions of some C. Fox Smith's poetry is evidently The Daily Colonist, published in Victoria, British Columbia. CFS was resident there between 1905 and 1913, and in a recent revisit (September, 2009) I found one of her poems, "The Long Road Home," published on December 17, 1912, p. 8. Since then one of my intrepid volunteers has turned up an article by CFS, "The Supreme Moment," about witnessing the unloading of a pair of heavy steam boilers from a Blue Funnel freighter in that same newspaper. Clearly there is more to harvest.

The real gold would be if someone discovered a good poem that was published nowhere else.

Typically such newspaper files are only available for viewing on microfilms but more recently some are now available on-line after being scanned and edited.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Feb 10 - 08:33 AM

The nautical poems of Cicely Fox Smith (UK) earned her by the 1920's a reputation comparable to Rudyard Kipling and John Masefield. Few poets have so successfully described the last years of the Great Age of Sail from the point of view of the deep-water sailor.

The Songs of Cicely Fox Smith songbook demonstrates how some of Smith's nautical poems have been successfully adapted for singing. Included are lyrics, musical notation, chords, notes for each song and period illustrations. Most of the 24 songs included have been adapted for singing by the editor but there is a sampling of other musical settings as well. See the sample Songbook linked to my website for more specific information: click here for Sample Songbook

This songbook may be ordered for about $25 from Camsco Music: Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor, NJ 08520 or from the editor: Charles Ipcar, 80 Main St., Richmond, ME 04357. Chantey Cabin in the UK is also reviewing a sample copy with regard to distributing the songbook there.

It is hoped that similar songbooks will be worked up this year by Bob Zentz, Danny McLeod and Alan Fitzsimmons, and by other musicians who have set a significant number of poems by C. Fox Smith to music. In all some 70 poems by C. Fox Smith have now been adapted for singing, some with multiple settings.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: bradfordian
Date: 22 Feb 10 - 12:22 PM

Charley (& Jim),    CONGRATUATIONS !!! A very fine job. The fruits of a labour of love no doubt.

Brad

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Feb 10 - 02:26 PM

Brad-

And with your invaluable help as well!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: sciencegeek
Date: 22 Feb 10 - 04:01 PM

we were at a singing get-together this weekend & people got a look at your newest effort... many complements & hopefully will end in a few future sales.

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Feb 10 - 05:07 PM

Chris-

Thanks for the feedback and I'm looking forward to helping coordinate the C. Fox Smith workshop with Mike at NEFFA in April.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: shipcmo
Date: 11 May 10 - 06:45 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Joe_F
Date: 11 May 10 - 05:10 PM

The first stanza of "So Long", which becomes the chorus of "All Coiled Down" as sung, has the third line

    Another ship for me, an' for her another crew --

In the song as usually sung, "me" has become "us". It seems to me that Ms. Smith has logic on her side. If the whole crew were going to another ship, there would be no point in saying goodbye; it has to be either as written, or "Other ships for us".

However, it turns out to be rather odd of me (perhaps even insane) to try to imagine the situation described by a song.

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 May 10 - 08:56 PM

Joe F-

There's certainly logic in what you say and why change what CFS composed unless there is a compelling reason.

It really is a treat to go back to the beginning of this thread and rediscover how we all learned more about this fine nautical poet.

Now anyone can access the trove of poems on-line at her page at oldpoetry.com, some 626 at last count.

And there may be a few more poems lurking about in stray magazines.

I'll be heading over to the UK in September to sift through one additional stash. I hope it turns out as good as it's described.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Joe_F
Date: 12 May 10 - 05:59 PM

In addition to criticizing, I should have taken time to say: That's a beautiful line. It is the pleasantest example of chiasmus that I have seen.

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Artful Codger
Date: 13 May 10 - 03:09 AM

Dr. Scholl's foot powder should take care of chiasmus.

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 May 10 - 08:30 AM

AC-

Remember, I do have editing powers on this dedicated thread. ;~)

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Artful Codger
Date: 13 May 10 - 09:52 AM

Then by all means, use them! How often does one get the chance?

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 04:15 PM

Here's a link to some images I've posted to Facebook of C. Fox Smith that I was able to collect from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich this year when my wife and I were visiting the UK: click here!

There is also a photo I took of her first home in Lymm, several illustrations drawn by her brother Philip W. Smith portraying her prowling the waterfronts of "sailortown," and a bird's eye view of where she worked on the waterfront of Victoria, British Columbia, from 1905 to 1913.

She was a cute little girl!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 04:32 PM

Hi Charley,
As I don't subscribe to Facebook I am unable to view the images. Can you change a setting to allow non-subscribers to see them?
Cheers,
Ian

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 05:40 PM

Ian-

I think the setting is already set for the general public. However, if someone wants to comment they would have to become a member first (which is free).

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 06:15 PM

Another non-subscriber.

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: stallion
Date: 11 Oct 10 - 02:05 PM

got to get off Double Nelson

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Oct 10 - 08:46 PM

Facebook requires email plus log in.

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 02:22 PM

Here's a link to where most of the C. Fox Smith poetry books may be accessed for free at The Internet Archives: click here for on-line book

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 09:04 AM

A number of updates for this thread:

Here's another PUBLIC Facebook link to illustrations and photos I have scanned associated with Cicely Fox Smith: click here for Facebook images!

The interest in this British poets continues to increase and now more than 90 of her 633 poems have been adapted for singing, several with multiple tune settings. Mike Kennedy is the latest singer to set more than a dozen of her poems to music and he is planning a recording session with my wife and myself this May. I've coordinated several C. Fox Smith workshops with Mike and he has a talent for matching the tune to her poem while retaining as much of the original wording as possible.

The next C. Fox Smith workshop will be associated with the Mystic Sea Music Festival, second weekend in June.

Jim Saville, my co-editor, and I have contracted with Little Red Tree Publishing in Mystic, Connecticut, to publish THE COMPLETE POEMS OF CICELY FOX SMITH, release date sometime this fall. This publisher did a find job earlier with a smaller volume focused on the poems of Jack London and we are in the final phase of editing the very long draft.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems (PermaThread)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 May 12 - 11:07 PM

The launching date for The Complete Poetry of Cicely Fox Smith is now set for the weekend of the Mystic Sea Music Festival 2012, June 7-10. As mentioned above this huge volume is published by Little Red Tree Publishing. In all about 640 poems are included with notes, hundreds of vintage graphics, and an updated biography of this intriguing British poet.

Here's a link to the book's cover:click here for book cover

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems (PermaThread)
From: GUEST,Sarah O'Connor
Date: 13 Mar 14 - 11:39 PM

I just got my copy of "The Complete Poetry of Cicely Fox Smith" in the mail today and am already going through it with post-it notes to mark the ones I want to memorize. Such a fantastic resource!

~Sarah

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems (PermaThread)
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 23 May 21 - 08:17 AM

Someone let the cat on 'mudcat' again....

Subject: RE: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems (PermaThread)
From: r.padgett
Date: 23 May 21 - 11:59 AM

A reprint is needed I believe ~ a while ago the book was on ebay ~ not looked recently for £150

Ray