Luce Canon 1883, 1889, 1902

Subject: Luce Canon 1883, 1889, 1902
From: Trunklesqueezer
Date: 05 Feb 12 - 01:30 PM

_Naval Songs: A Collection of Original, Selected and Traditional Sea Songs_ was first published in by Wm A.Pond in 1883 with subsequent editions in 1889 and 1902. The 1883 book includes an excerpt from from Adams' 1879 _On Board the Rocket_ on pages 3-6 which includes a dozen shanties. This same excerpt is reproduced in the 1889 edition on pages vi-x. The 1883 volume includes a further 15 shanties and forebitters which do not appear in the 1889 book, but reappear - with an additional 10 shanties and forebitters in the 1902 edition. Rear Admiral S[tephen]. B[leeker]. Luce (retired) is listed as compiler of the 1902 tome. The introduction to the 1889 edition is signed S. B. L.. But the 1883 book has no visible authorship credit. All these editions can be found on google books, the first two in a single file.

The 1883 edition provides early documentation with music for several shanties besides those from Adams. Do you think it likely that Luce was the compiler of that volume hence one of the earliest shanty collectors to provide notation?

What do you imagine the relationship between the 1883 and 1889 volumes was intended to be? There is some repertoire overlap (maybe a third of the songs) but only some, and the title page reads Naval Songs (Vol. 2.) etc. and 'Edited by D. P. Horton' who is thanked in an introduction by "S. B. L.".

Should these works be cited as 'Pond 1883', 'Horton 1889,' and 'Luce 1902'? Or does the unacknowledged but perhaps consistent hand of Rear Admiral (ret.) Luce deserve a nod?

Subject: RE: Luce Canon 1883, 1889, 1902
From: Trunklesqueezer
Date: 05 Feb 12 - 01:37 PM

Here are the links:
1883 and 1889 editions of Naval Songs

1902 edition of Naval Songs

Subject: RE: Luce Canon 1883, 1889, 1902
From: Neil D
Date: 05 Feb 12 - 10:18 PM

I don't know anything about shanties, but my complements on the clever play on words in the thread title. It got me to look.