Of Sourdough and Oxen

Subject: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: Dave Swan
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 04:57 PM

Sourdough's off on another thread seeking the lyrics to an ox driving song, partly for my benefit. He remembered bits of it the day we met.

I had the pleasure of Sourdough's company for the first time a few weeks ago. Once again, it was the Mudcat occurence of meeting an old friend I just hadn't bumped into yet.

Sour and Mrs. Dough and I met in a pub in the North Bay, beginning a day which stretched for a few pints, a trip to a music store, and reuniting at Chanteyranger's chantey sing in San Francisco, where we met up with p.j. God we had fun.

Sourdough is warm, funny, friendly, hugely intelligent, and a good pal. We found many common interests in addition to music, and the conversation hared off in all kinds of interesting directions.

Sourdough had the good fortune to marry Mrs. Dough, who is sweet, funny, bright, and like so many of the Mudcat wives, a good deal better looking than the mister. How does this happen so often? Rick and Heather, Pat and Karen, Mick and Mary Lou, p.j. and I. The mudcat male(Musicallus uglyious) somehow attracts a great looking mate (M. presbyopious).

Anyhow, again more friends from this village sit down for another first drink and find that they're old buddies. Great place.

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 11:33 PM

Thanks for letting us in on the meet, Dave. Sounds great. I would imagine, from his stories, that "Mr. Dough" would be a lot of fun to listen to and play music with, as well as chanteyranger and company.

Oh, and Dave, are you saying the good looking SO's of male Mudcatters are all in need of glasses?**BG**

katlaughing

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: Amos
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 12:21 AM

Maybe it isn't myopia, Dave ... maybe it's extra-sensory perception!! That would make a lot more sense to me. They just see right through that ugly puss of yours and detect the heart of gold underneath, eh???

A

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 01:00 AM

Maybe there's hope for me!

-chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: Sourdough
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 01:10 AM

After reading Dave Swan's message, I went and looked in the mirror. My god, he's right. Mrs. Sauer Dough (she's from Bavaria) is a trifle better looking than I am, atleast when the light is right (or rather when the light is on. In pitch blackness, I am every bit as good looking to the casual observer as she is.)

Yes, we did have a good time and one of the things I found that we had in common was mutual friends (whom I hadn't met yet). It was terrific to learn a bit more about Catspaw, Rick, Big Mick and others from someone who had actually met these legends in their own _____.

I have only recently come to realize what chanteyranger has done. If I understand it right, for more than two decades, twelve times a year, on Saturday nights, he has volunteered to run a chantey sing on board one of the National Park Service ships moored at the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco. With a crew of other volunteers, some Rangers and some not, he hosts maybe a hundred people who come together to sing songs of the sea, some with skill, all with enthusiasm. I am sure that Chanteyranger and his crew have introduced hundreds, perhaps thousands of people to the joy of making their own music.

I can state with certainty that Pam is certainly prettier than Dave. I also got to meet Oak and Ash (Even though he claims he is the "&", after meeting his most collegial colleagues, he must be Thorn. They sure can sing!

Enough for now -

Sourdough

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 02:03 AM

Hi Sourdough -

The chantey sing has indeed been going on for 20 years. I'm the latest in a line of five rangers who have hosted it. The others are: Dave Nettell, and occasionally Gary Keep (1981-89), Celeste Bernardo (1989-92), Revell Carr (1992-96), and myself since August, 1996, occasionally hosting it on the rare nights when Revell was away during his term. I would volunteer, as it's a labor of love, but it falls on my regular Saturday 8-hour day, just shifted to 4pm-midnight on chantey sing nights. Yes, it's an immense pleasure to see people who have never sung in public come out of their shell at the sings. That's how I first got involved back in '89 and slowly crawled out of my singing shell. Glad you enjoy them, Sourdough, and I look forward to seeing you again. I'll post a thread about the anniversary sing, soon. Ok, thread creep over. Sorry...as you were. :-)

-chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: sledge
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 04:21 AM

Dave, if you want a cattle droving song, theres a nice one on the ridge riders CD from Ashley Hutchings, Phil beer and Chris while. I'll transcribe the lyrics for you and you can pm later should you be interested. Its a nice song but some what short, 3 verses and runs on the CD at 2 minutes.

Cheers

Sledge

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: Dave Swan
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:07 AM

Sounds great, thanks. I'm always interested in another song. D

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: sledge
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:12 AM

I've got the lyrics noted down but am unsure as its a very recent song of how best to proceed, should I post it here along with appropriate credits.

Sledge

Subject: RE: Of Sourdough and Oxen
From: sledge
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 01:26 PM

The drovers song

The sun is rising in the sky
The morning mist is thinning
The oxen heed the drovers cry
And another days beginning
This road will always cross the land
For cyclist and for drover
And if I were a betting man
I'd say this road goes on forever


The dust is rising off the track
And the heat is on the highway
The drover makes his whip to crack
Another day upon the ridge way
This road will always cross the land
For cyclist and for drover
And if I were a betting man
I'd say this road goes on forever


The moon is rising in the sky
It's a signal for the drover
It's time for man and beast to lie
Another day is over
This road will always cross the land
For cyclist and for drover
And if I were a betting man
I'd say this road goes on forever

No midi or score I'm afraid Cheers

Sledge