What I won in the Shanty contest...

Subject: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Margo
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 12:46 AM

Hi folks! I'm back from the maritime festival in Tacoma where I participated in the Victory Music Sea Shanty writing contest. I was one of five finalists. They had to choose five finalists out of 33 entrants so I am honored that my song was good enough to make the finalist stage!
First place: Theresa (forgot her last name) of Seattle. she won a Tacoma guitar.
Second Place: Mary Benson of Portland Or. She won a promotional package: Photo shoot type stuff. Her song was dynamite and I thought hers the best!
Third place: Ira Frankel also of Portland. Ira won a guitar as well. His song is a sweet one, metaphorical of life.
Then there was Myself and "Tark" who won a complete set of penny whistles, and two Victory music CD's.

Never having sung into a microphone, I was nervous and intimidated. But at the following sing at the pub, I got up at the mike and did "Paddy West" with my concertina, and all said I sounded good, so I think I'm getting the hang of it.

After my performance Emily Rain showed up! She was unhappy about having missed my singing, but I gave her a private concert back at my motel. I must report that the photo of Emily on bbc's page doesn't do her justice at all! She is a petite, blue eyed, pixie-ish cutie. There's a sparkle of life in her eyes, and I knew instantly that we would be friends.

I met a lot of people and got to know others better. It was my first festival! Must attend more. Hopefully, as a performer!

Margarita

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 12:52 AM

Thanks wonderful, Marge! Congratulations!

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 01:15 AM

First of Fiftieth...you're always a winner here Margo!!!......And it sounds like you had a good time. I've been waiting to hear. Well done Slick!

Spaw

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Craig
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 01:25 AM

Always glad to hear when someone from the Mudcat group does good. wonderful news, keep it up.

Craig

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Easy Rider
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 02:31 AM

Congratulations, Margarita. You did fine, for a first time contestant and performer. I'm glad you posted the results because I was waiting and wondering how you would do. I thought your song was tops, and we were rooting for you.

I'm glad you'll be back to try again next time.

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 02:43 AM

It's a great song, Margo. It was nice to be able to hear you sing it before the competition. If you have any more songs you want to test out, let me know. I'm likely to be up your way a couple of times a year from now on.
So, tell us, what was the final wording? Did your ships scull? Have you posted the lyrics, or can you do it for us now that the competition is done?
Congratulations! We're proud of you.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Helen
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 03:54 AM

Well done, Margarita! That's wonderful - and I am sure that you will just go higher & higher after this.

Tell me when the Oz tour is scheduled *BG*

Helen

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 06:47 AM

Mighty fine,Miss Magarita-- I hope that this is the first of many victories.

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: paddymac
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 07:11 AM

Great news! That "first time" is always a bit daunting. Looking forward to to hearing more from you.

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 11:51 AM

Great Margarita, I was also waiting to hear how it all turned out. Congratulations.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Mudjack
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 12:10 PM

WOW, A great experience and congradulations, your song is obviously good to be in competition with all the above mentioned. We're going into Portland for Song Circle, see you there???
Mudjack

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Jon W.
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 03:45 PM

Congrats, Margarita. I was just singing Paddy West myself, yesterday. Great song, though my 14-year-old daughters weren't terribly impressed. I'm glad your audience was more receptive. Are you going to post lyrics and music of your contest entry?

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: karen k
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 04:04 PM

Congratulations! Hope you'll post the words and tune. I love music of the sea and am always looking for good ones.

karen k

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Bert
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 04:21 PM

Hey! Good for you Margarita, Send a tape to Max. We ALL want to hear you.

Love,

Bert.

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Margo
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 05:55 PM

Oh boy! Now I'm on the spot! I will post the lyrics. Copyright is in transit. I'm on the spot because Joe's been telling me to learn the Midi to text/text to midi program, and I haven't done it, so I have no melody for you yet. Perhaps a tape is in order. Well, here it is!

The Glorious Billowing Sails by Margo White

There's a ship and she's sailing the bounding main,
She's a four masted barque and she's headed for Spain
Her crew's at the ready, their stations all manned!
But the year's eighteen thirty four,
And I'm afraid that we'll see her no more.

Chorus:

And gone are the glorious billowing sails,
Past are the long months at sea hunting whales
No more are there privateers scouring the seas
But there's one thing remains the same;
We all love the bounding main,
We all love the bounding main!

Oh! Shantyman, give us a song for the pull!
A song about rum, or the girls of Callao!
We'll heave on the halyards and up she will go,
But the shantyman's voice sings no more,
And his songs are sung only on shore.

Chorus

We'll man the good capstan and spin her around!
There's a crowd on the pier that's come down from the town
They cheer us on wildly as we unfurl the sails!
But the cargo ships now leave alone,
In silence, completely unknown.

Chorus

So all you young people take a warning by me;
There's beauty in the ships and the songs of the sea,
But if you wont's sing them their memory will fade.
That is why you must sing this song,
Sing it out loud and strong!

Chorus


Th' that's all, folks! I was fortunate to have Jonathan Lay singing with me (he's the one who wrote the song about the New Carissa). I was caught by surprise by an unexpected case of nerves.

By the way, I didnt' know it but Victory music, who put on the contest, is a non profit organization there in Tacoma. More about them later. Tacoma guitars are vieing (sic)for third place as one of our country's leading guitar manufacturers. I presume they mean third in sales. I had never heard of them, but why would I? I'm not in the market, and I play concertina more than my guitar.

Now I'm rambling. Gotta get back to work (clean the house!)Y'all know I'm a housewifey, right?

Margarita

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 08:12 PM

How about a good housecleaning song, Margarita--I need something to motivate me before the hair from two Labradors reaches waist level. --seed

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 08:19 PM

Privateers scouring the seas....
I like it, Margo. Much better than "sculling." If you have a MIDI, e-mail it to me (click on my name below), and I'll convert it and post it.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Barry Finn
Date: 20 Sep 99 - 08:39 PM

Then Joe could you bring it to the Getaway & sing it (I a midi dummy).
Congratulations Margarita, it sounds & looks like you did pretty well. To have nosed out that many & come in, in the top 5 is quite impressive. Let's see more of this, good luck. Barry

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 21 Sep 99 - 12:57 AM

God bless you, Margarita! Great news! I look forward to hearing it in person some day when I get up to Oregon.

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 21 Sep 99 - 01:53 AM

Great song Marg, and congratulations on your finish! We are all proud of you!

LEJ

Subject: RE: What I won in the Shantey contest...
From: Margo
Date: 21 Sep 99 - 05:28 PM

Thanks guys! We sang it at song circle last night and I was elated to hear everyone joining in. Joe, I think I'll send you a rough tape to work from, but I'm getting another idea. I want to approach the other two finalists here in the Portland area, and see if they won't record their songs, then maybe send it to Rick, if he wants to do a short segment about the sea songs coming from this area. I haven't asked him yet....better get on it!

Margarita