Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME

Subject: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Aug 01 - 10:33 AM

Don't know what became of our old thread but our 4th Sunday series is taking place August 26 at 7 PM. The observatory is an old wooden octogon signal tower constructed back in 1807 and is a great place for a song circle. Members of Roll & Go will be ready to lead some songs but we would love to have others do the same, in turn. We welcome traditional as well as contemporary songs of the sea, ballads as well as shanties. The tower sits high on Munjoy Hill and commands a sweeping view of Casco Bay. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children, with proceeds donated to Greater Portland Landmarks which maintains the building.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 11:41 AM

Refresh!#1

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Aug 01 - 04:17 PM

Refresh!#2

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 02:50 PM

Refresh #3. Looks like we'll have a lot of family members attending this session. Could be weird.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Brían
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 04:30 PM

I hope to be there. Should I bring my family, Charlie?

Brían.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 12:19 PM

Sure, Brían. Bring the cats too if you want. So far about 8 of my relatives are coming, and 5 or 6 of Nor and Eli's. I hope we can get some of them to sing. Bobbi should be there and hopefully Claire. Any one else?

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Brían
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 01:21 PM

Well, cats we have as well.....

Brían.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: treaties1
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 06:38 PM

wish i could make it, instead best wishes from across the pond for a great sing.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: SINSULL
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 08:51 AM

Tonight's the night. Have fun.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 09:06 AM

Do we have to pay extra for our two small dogs? They ain't much for singin', sad to say. wish we could get Cpt. Steve with his large red & jade parrott "Singapore" there - The Cpt. conducted the entire meeting of the Sons of Union Veterans last week (of which he is the Yarmouth Camp Commander) with "Sing" perched on his shoulder, nibbling his ears and picking at his buttons. That was kinda neat. Haven't got "Shanghai Passage" committed to memory yet, but working on a banjo riff for it, & it's got potential.

No promises, but we'll see if I can blow th' spiders outta me tinwhistle and catch a favorable breeze down t' th' other end o' Casco Bay this evenin'.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 12:45 PM

Uncle Jacque – if they are truely "Sea Dogs" we'll be delighted to have 'em lead a song; otherwise they'll be curtailed.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 01:43 PM

"Cutailed"? Beggin' yer pardon, Mate; they ain't curtailed, they's BOBtailed!

Well enough then; we'll leave the little lop-eared idiots t'home. };>{)~

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Brían
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 10:19 PM

Well, it was a good night of singing. Nor was in rare form with "General Taylor" and "John Kanakaknaka"(I must admit I ran out of wind long before the gentleman to my right. "Dramamine" and "Dead Dog Cider(Scrumpy) went over well(I must admit it is mutating rather interestingly with "Eight More Miles To Louisville" and "Maryellen Carter" That was a good crowd of singers and good requests. Fourtunately Naem' didn't have to break out his Brittney Speares repetoire.

Brían.

Subject: RE: Portland Observatory Shanty Swap, ME
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Aug 01 - 11:05 AM

What a blast! There really were about 30 people attending, half of them relatives, some old Portland Folk Club singers, and a half dozen new singers. Uncle Jacque did a great rendition of "Leave Her, Johney, Leave her." Nor's brother sang an original song about a ghost schooner guiding a tanker in past a nortorious rock ledge; there seems to be a family connection to the schooner which was based out of Rockland, Maine. Brían rescued the Roll & Go crew from embarassment when we couldn't come up with the words to a requested Gordon Bok song. Carolyn, a deck officier for commercial sea-going ships, had hysterics over "Dramamine."

We'll be closing out this series for the year on the 4th Sunday in September. Once again, the acoustics are great, no sound system needed, and no competition with bar patrons patter but, alas, no beer either...