Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival 2004

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: MMario
Date: 19 Jun 04 - 01:43 PM

yup - Ken is a "full body listener" let alone singer!

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Jun 04 - 08:59 AM

Looking forward to more pictures!

Off to Kennebunkport for singing this afternoon from 1 to 3 pm.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Celtaddict
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 06:04 PM

Other good moments to recall:
Tommy Makem singing on the Town Green and the ducks coming over to listen, until he came to a rousing chorus and they took off. He did go on to literally sing the birds out of the trees.
One of Bob Walser's boys listening to someone onstage, putting his hands in his pockets and bowing and swaying just like Bob.
The two representatives of the Georgia Sea Island Singers having everyone shouting how glad we were to be there.
Meg Frost and Donna Glover's debut as a duo at the Gris.
Deirdre Murtha's little one perched on a chair listening saucer-eyed.
Carl Thornton singing a contemporary song that could have come straight from Greek mythology, from an old man who longs to go to sea again but will no more, "for I am old, and I am blind..."
Jerry Bryant singing Rick Spencer's "Hexagon Zombie" and the reactions of those who had not heard it before.
Watching and listening as Craig Edwards, the Festival director, who had every reason to be exhausted, sitting at midnight Sunday night giving a patient guitar lesson to a new player so she could accompany his fiddle and Ken Sweeney's squeezebox.
The inimitable Ken Schatz who puts more animation into listening than many performers do into singing.
Every trip I take, I wind up with a mental or written collection of the "best shots not taken."
The photos I did get are downloaded and will go off to Pene Azul probably Monday; earlier if no one is in labor this weekend.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JudyB
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 03:47 PM

Thanks for the IDs! I do know Meg, but didn't want to put her name there unless I could add the names for all three of them. I've made the change on Charley's web site.

And thanks for the compliments on the photos - I was quite pleased with how the sunset ones came out. It does help to have the ships and the water and one of the nicest sunsets I've seen in ages....

   JudyB

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 02:30 PM

The third one is volunteer Julie Moulton.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 12:44 PM

Thanks for the additional ID.

We, of course, recognized Volunteer Coordinator Meg Frost who has not missed a Festival at Mystic in its entire 25 years.

Sure was fun, wasn't it!

It was nice to hear Nor and Alison doing "Blood-Red Roses" again. Alison has a recording of them doing that on her new CD. Great for helping remove paint from surfaces.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,celtaddict at work
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 12:03 PM

Charlie, your Judy, Nancy & Sally are, on the left, Meg Frost, Volunteer Extraordinaire, and Donna Glover of Windlasses (and who has recorded with Rick Spencer as well); not sure of third.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 09:20 AM

Judy - thanks for the pics (espcially the sunsets - so beautiful!) - it looked like a good time was had by all.

sandra

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: karen k
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 06:05 AM

Judy,
Nice pictures, especially the last two.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JennyO
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 10:39 PM

Oh good, I was going to ask you if you saw Sally. I couldn't see her in any of the photos, but I knew she was going.

Yes, the James Craig is going well. Two weeks ago there was a party on her - hundreds of people, food laid on, a jazz and blues band on the deck, and a lot of other entertainment, including us, the James Craig Shanty Singers. At some stage, John got out his harmonica and joined the band, wowing us with his blues harp playing - not just a pretty face, our John!

Jenny

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 05:36 PM

And walking back to Ho-Jo's you get to pass that big cementary, humming to yourself "Over the ground and under the ground!"

Oh, I ran into Sally from the James Craig in Sydney. She was back in the states visiting her old friends at the Mystic Sea Museum and seemed quite pleased with how the shanty singing was coming along aboard the Craig.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JudyB
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:55 PM

Which is why I stay at the Howard Johnson - it's less than a mile away, which is reasonable enough walking distance for me, and people don't usually make a lot of noise at 6 am. Of course the walk is more fun when the weather is as lovely as it was this year!

   JudyB

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: MMario
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:24 PM

the things I regret about camping during this festival is that:

a) I need to keep myself in shape to drive safely

b) when I camp I rarely manage to sleep past 6:00 AM - which makes a VERY long day if I attend any after hours stuff.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:18 PM

Might as well refresh this thread considering that the Mudcat system has been down.

One of the nicest times for Nor and I was Saturday evening, after the Chantey Shout in the Galley. We went over to the Youth Training Building (YTB) and found some 30 folks there swapping songs. The acoustics were great, people were polite and paying attention, and reacting to each other's songs.

There were a whole series of "roots" songs led by members of the Johnson Girls, NexTradition, and Jeff Warner. Nor did a great job of leading "Gosport Nancy" and I got to lead "The Mariner's Compass is Grog." Singing was still going strong when at 3:30 AM I decided to roll over to the Joseph Conrad and drop into my bunk.

Of course, Sunday morning at 6:30 AM, my neighbors (whose names I will never disclose but I know who they are) got up and began chatting in full voice. After 15 minutes of this I said something very rude to them, achieving blessed silence, and another 30 minutes of sleep before we were officially mustered out.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JudyB
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 11:29 PM

Well, we have some photos available on Charley Noble's web site - enjoy! I only took the camera to a couple of the venues - sorry.... If you can identify any more of the people in the photos, please let me know - I'm awful with names! Off to bed - it'll take a couple of days to catch up on the sleep I missed - but it was worth it!

    JudyB

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 08:34 PM

One of my personal thrills on Sunday was to meet Frank Werner again.
Frank, who used to sing with the X Seamen's Institute along with Bernie Klay, Dan Aguillar, & John Townley was the person who got me hooked on folk music and sea music in particular some 30 years ago. I used to be a regular on Tuesday nights at South Street. I presented Frank with an 8x10 color photo that I took of the group in August of 1978 while they were singing at the Seaport. SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 05:22 PM

Charlie, Will Judy's images be posted to the web at a sight where I can view them ? If so, please give me the URL. SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 04:33 PM

Errrr!

Cliff's closing song at the Griswold Inn might have been "Bide Awhile" rather than "Bid Awhile."

I also agree that the new Johnson Girl CD, ON THE ROCKS, is very well done. We had a good listen on the way back to Maine.

SALTY DICK'S UNCENSORED SAILOR SONGS also provided us much entertainment. I'm not sure if these CD's are still available at the Mystic Seaport Museum Store but if you're really interested in some classic bawdy sea songs, this recording is the best I'm listened to. The songs are all led by Professor Richard "Salty Dick" Docker. Note, this is not a live recording of the actual Mystic Sea Music uncensored shanty workshop, although some of the songs were collected there.

JudyB is busily editing digital images as I'm typing. Gosh, there are some really great pictures!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 03:00 PM

Please excuse my typo on "Lightlouse Point." It really isn't infested, and should of course be "Lighthouse Point."

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 02:58 PM

Liam's Brother, off at a festival in Cork, was also missed.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 09:25 AM

thanks for the reports, what a great weekend - now all I have to do is survive till pics start appearing.

sandra

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 09:13 AM

Missing from my above report on the Griswold Inn Survivors Chantey Sing is, of course, the incredible local group of chantey singers known as the Ancient Mariners. I enjoyed them throughout the weekend and they did another great job of leading the crowd Monday evening at the Gris.

Back to work!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 01:42 AM

The festival was wonderful. le Vent du Nord was a huge hit, and a revelation for me, as I hadn't heard them before. they perform some of the most energetic, joyous music I've ever heard; just irresistible. The band members are very much in the spirit of what the festival is all about. They are full of life and energy, inviting listeners to get up and dance, the button accordionist/stepdancer coming offstage to quickly teach a simple, basic step, leading a long line of people weaving around the lighthlouse point area. Their joyous approach to their music and their joy just being at the festival was infectious.
I agree with Sol Zeller that The Johnson Girls are sounding better and better (and were excellent to begin with). They are now clearly (IMHO) one of the great sea music groups on the world stage.
For me, it was also a chance to reunite with friends and former colleagues who used to be rangers at SF Maritime National Historical Park. Former rangers and SF chantey sing leaders Celeste Bernardo and Revell Carr were on the program. Revell is doing some pioneering doctoral work in ethnomusicology, and delivered a paper on musical contacts between Pacific Islanders and whalemen. It was Stan Hugill's contention that the chantey John Kanaka is the only surviving example of Pacific Island/whalemen musical mixing in chanteying. It is Revell's contention that there is more that survives, and he is immersing himself in this study. Stay tuned! Celeste is a very strong singer, as ever. She gracioiusly invited Revell, myself, and former SF chantey sing regular Greg Bullough to join her at her Fishtown Chapel solo gig. It was like old times, singing with them.
Always great to see louis Killen, Jerry Bryant, John Roberts (John Roberts did M.C. duties as well as performing), and local bay area heroes Holdstock and Macleod, and Carol Holdstock.
Saw Charley Noble, MMario, and, at the aforementioned Fishtown gig, saw a man in the audience with a mudcat T-shirt, who's moniker, if I remember correctly, when I asked him, is Just Another Dave.
Barry Finn was greatly missed. Barry, if you're reading this, I hope you're well! I kept Hard Times In old Virginia going at the sessions in your abscence.
   Was their a lowlight to this festival that stood out like a sore thumb?

Yes: it ended. :-).

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 08:14 PM

Judy and I got back to Maine about 4 pm this afternoon. The cats are fine. Everything looks like normal and we're looking forward to sleeping in our own beds.

I have to agree with Jerry (JB) that there were many sublime moments at the Festival. These moments keep flashing through my mind like someone's Powerpoint presentation. I?ll see what I can do to highlight some of them but first I?d like to describe our foray into deepest darkest Exeter.

Monday evening we made our way to the Griswold Inn in Essex, about 30 minutes southwest of Mystic. It appears to be a quiet river town which once had active international shipping, languished, and is now enjoying a gentrified rebirth. There are lots of well preserved wood clapboard houses, some quite elaborate, others with incongruous additions. Much of the town is on a peninsular, with rivers on 3 sides.The Inn itself is a wonder as you walk through the square dark ceiling taproom to the main dining hall. One could spend hours looking at the pictures of old steamboats and sailing ships lining the walls, old signs and newspaper stories. One of the other small dining rooms featured a fine collection of muskets and pistols. Judy and I had a leisurely meal as we tried to figure out what exactly was gonna happen when and where. After all, we were primarily here to take careful notes on the "Survivor's Gathering" at the Gris' Monday Evening Chantey Sing.

About 8:30 Cliff Haslem and some others began clearing a spot in the taproom for a small sound system and began to play some songs, and many of us crammed into that space, being careful to leave a partner or pile of foul weather gear on our chairs in the main dining room where there were rumors that the main part of the evening?s entertainment would be taking place. The taproom was still pretty noisy for good singing or listening, and after about 9:30 there was a surge to the main dining room where the sound system was set up again, this time in front of a large stone fire place. It was still quite noisy when Cliff explained the ground rules of what was to happen but by this time we were so focused that we could tell from his body language that he was referring to a sign-up sheet held by one of his cohorts. Accordingly, I made a dash for the clipboard and managed to scribble in my name in some legible fashion.

Cliff and his friends began another set of introductory songs, and gradually captured the focus of most of the people in the dining room. But there was continuous distraction from people in the back still talking and the dining room is extremely "live" in terms of acoustics. Our table was in the back and it was extremely difficult to make out words if a group with instruments was singing. It was better with single performers if he/she crowded the mic and sang loudly. I?m afraid I?m not going to be very good at reporting what was sung. But volunteer coordinator Meg frost and a friend did a lovely song together. Allen MacLeod did a quiet ballad. Geoff Kaufman led a worksong, backed up with some bones acrobatics from the energetic Tim Riley. Craig Edwards led another worksong, backed up with a borrowed banjo.

Sheri Mortimer did a nice job with her parody of "The Maid of Amsterdam" which she entitled "Dave of Amsterdam"; Dave is severely molested in this version by an aggressive young lady.

Then Marc Bernier presented a touching love ballad of a man and his lust for moose, and brought the house down as he stumbled halfway through between "boyfriend and girlfriend." Carl Thorton was left with the job of following that, and elected to do another very lovely ballad.

Then there was a wonderful group of "pirate" folks from San Francisco, who call themselves "Salty Walt and the Rattlin? Ratlines," who delivered a spirited version of "Henry Martin." I?m sure we?ll hear from this crew some more in the years to come.

I by this time was severely chilled in the back of the hall, bundled up in my boating jacket. I?m sure it was just a case of nerves but there might have been an air vent underneath our table with a duct leading directly to the Artic. I did have my concertina cued up on the table and managed when called to stumble my way to the front of the dining room. It was then that my eyes became riveted on the large steamboat model on the mantle piece that appeared about to tumble off, but I dismissed that disaster from my mind, straightened up in front of the mic and announced that I was gonna present a drinking song that probably had last been heard in this very room back in the early 1800?s, and launched into the tune of the "Mariner?s Compass Is Grog." I wisely put down the concertina after presenting the tune, and started the verses, and repeated the chorus which runs:

Grog is our larboard and starboard,
Our mains?l, our mizen, our log,
At sea or ashore or when harbored,
The Mariner?s compass is grog!

And folks seemed to pick up on it nicely. Whew!

I was followed by Michelle Moon who sang another lovely ballad.

Cliff wound up the evening with the parting song "Bid Awhile."

What an experience! I?d love to see how things work on a regular Monday evening; the Chantey Sings happen every other Monday, and I?m sure it?s a much smaller group and a whole lot of fun in a different way, with much more give and take.

The food and service, by the way, were excellent and we?ll make every effort to attend next year after the 26th Mystic SeaMusic Festival.

Sometime this week we'll try to post some of JudyB's digital images of the Festival; she has a hundred or so to sift through...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 07:00 PM

Pictures! We want pictures!

~ Greedy in Tucson

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Celtaddict
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 06:18 PM

Don't know about the ducks, but the cocks look the same but at daybreak sound different in Kilronan (west of Ireland) from the ones in Costa Rica...
The Festival seems to be better every year. Tommy Makem may look rather frailer than in years past but the vigor of his storytelling and the robust voice have not diminished in the slightest. Lou Killen is younger than he was in the 90s. One striking feature of Mystic is the number of performers who come whether they are on the program or not; John Roberts is a regular, and the Johnson Girls & Dan Milner, Jon Campbell, Windlasses, many who have worked at the Seaport in the past; many are there either way; Robbie O'Connell comes down often. There is also an increasing trend for groups and individuals to come from elsewhere and listen, and participate, and eventually (by design or not) wind up on later programs; New York has been well represented for years, and Washington and Baltimore contingents have grown, and some personable and talented pirates from San Francisco.
The biggest problem with the schedule is there are multiple venues at any given time and it is agonizing to have to make some of the decisions when any one stage could provide a wonderful day in itself. The after hours events are only loosely scheduled, for pub sings in a given place, and linger on elsewhere; last year there was clogging in the gazebo at three a.m.
I was privileged to meet MMario in person, and now have his CD, and if you do not, you are missing a good thing; what a beauty!
The weather was the typical SMF: cool and wet Thursday, then sunny days and cool nights.
Some good pics and many good memories, much to share; back to work just now.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Chris
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 02:13 PM

Greetings from across the Pond! Been following this thread with some interest (and I have to admit, just a little envy)! Mystic sounds wonderful - delighted it all went so well.

It's our turn this weekend as we have the Liverpool Shanty Festival at the Albert Dock. We have some of the tall ships in, Mir, Grand Turk and Matthew of Bristol to name a few, the Anastasia Hospital ship, a registered charity that has just completed a voyage around the coast of Africa and all sorts of other odd assortments including canal narrow boats that have to make a rather hazardous journey out of the canal system and down part of the Mersey to dock in the Albert. (Not a lot of fun if the river is running fast)!! We also have concerts in such appropriately named pubs as "The Baltic Fleet" and a theatre called "The Neptune".

Dan Milner & Bob Conroy will be here (as will Bonnie), and we have guests from Poland, Holland, France and Germany.

So, wish us luck and fair weather. (Come to think of it - we'll enjoy it whatever the climate)!

MMario - Ducks with accents! I'd be interested to hear a Liverpool one!!

Cheers

Chris

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 11:50 AM

I wish "we" had known in advance that the friday and Saturday concerts were to be streamed live on the web. Have to remember to check on that next year so the poor suckers people who can't make it can tune it.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: MMario
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 09:47 AM

BTW- a lively conversation I overheard in the Gazebo on the Village Green Sunday - "Ducks have accents" - I guess Life imatates the Mudcat!

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 09:14 AM

I have to agree with Jerry (JB) that there were many sublime moments at the Festival. We're still in Motel-land here in Mystic gearing up to return to Maine, and these moments keep flashing through my mind like someone's Powerpoint presentation. I promise to provide a more full description of what we experienced but not from this motel/AOL connection that cuts me off from the internet every 5 minutes!

We had a wonderful evening at the Griswold Inn in Essex, in spite of the difficulty we experienced in trying to hear what people were singing in an acoustically live dining hall with too many people talking in the back and additional noise from the adjacent taproom and other dining rooms.

Fortunately, I did not have to follow Marc Bernier's presentation of "The Moose Song", more about that in a later post.

Now we have to dash for breakfast, come back for final packing, and head back to Maine.

Oh, yes, we'll work out something on them CD's.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: MMario
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 08:44 AM

To qoute a comment that was rep[eated several times 'Them Johnson girls are mighty fine!" - and they kept me company all the way home!!!!

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 01:00 AM

That's an idea, Charley, can I send you another mermaid?

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JennyO
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 09:24 PM

On the other hand Charlie, is there something we can send you for a swap?

Jenny

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JWB
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 04:42 PM

One of my favorite parts of the Festival (and there are lots of them!) was the Symposium, the "scholarly" portion of the event. If you attend the Sea Music Festival and don't drag yourself out of bed on Saturday morning for the Symposium you're missing a lot. It's not dry and academic, but is full of music and insights into where the music we love comes from.

This year it was terrific, with Stephan Sanfilippo presenting a fascinating look at a collection of songs put together by a NY whaleman in the 1840s; Bob Webb enthralling the audience with his multi-media talk on the maritime painter Charles Patterson and a newly-discovered sea song; and Rev Carr showing footage and playing clips of how Polynesian and European/American music influenced each other during the days of South Sea whaling. Wow!

In my callow youth I opted for sleep over the Symposium, but I wised up about 1987 and haven't missed a Symposium since. Do thou likewise.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 02:38 PM

I really enjoyed the Johnson Girls. They blend together very well and have gotten even better than they were last year. SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 01:54 PM

Great weather, except for the chilly night. My denim jacket did not cut it on Saturday night! Still, the weather was fantastic!

What a great weekend! Le Vent du Nord were amazing! I enjoyed Pint & Dale, especially the Hurdy-Gurdy. I am in awe of Don Sinetti. It was great to see Tommy Makem again too!

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JennyO
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 01:43 PM

Sounds like you had a great time, Charlie and Judy. John and I are still interested in one of those CD's, if you have one available for us. Maybe you could send us a PM about what we owe you and how we can get it?

Jenny (green with envy)

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 12:28 PM

Yes, there are survivors from the sea music festival. A small group of us took down the lights and sound system from the stage at Lighthouse Point after the final concert. There were the usual moments of high drama with various wasted people balancing themselves on shaky step ladders taking down the heavy speakers from the rafters. Once again no one was badly crushed. In fact there really was no reason at all for me to shout "Fair catch!" as Nor was endeavoring to twist 380 degrees around at the top of the ladder to unhook the last speaker. Then it was "all coil down" for the various cables and extention cords.

We had a great feed at Go Fish before most of our crew left town. Judy and I are still here in Mystic, having enjoyed 8 hours of s-l-e-e-p at her motel room.

The final concert is truly a wonderful experience, every performer who is still conscious leading a song, and for the sound crew all kinds of quick set-ups to deal with whatever creative "extras" that performers come up with. We began with the Frech Canadian group Le Vent du Nord, who we had already set up for from their previous concert, and once again they "blew" everyone away with their fiddles, accordian, key board, hurdy gurdy, step dancing, and vocals.

The final involved everyone on the stage with Don Sinetti leading "Rolling Down to Old Maui" which I'm sure carried to wherever old Stan resides. And then Geoff Kaufman led "Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her."

My high moment was running the main sound board while Bob went rowing with his wife and Nor went up to lie in the sun. There I was fine tuning the board while Dick Holdstock and Allan Macleod were doing their set. Yes, I was having real fun until the last 10 minutes when I glancing down at the program and realized that Le Vent du Nord was scheduled next and neither Bob or Nor was in sight, and I am truly clueless when it comes to connecting direct boxes, adjusting monitors
and arranging any of the things one has to deal with for 5 people and half a gazillion instruemnts. Fortunately I found someone who thought he knew where Nor was collecting sun and I was rescued before I created too much of a tangle.

Judy has lots of digital images to process when we get home. And I'll endeaver to post more details. We do have some extra CD's of SALTY DICK'S UNCENSORED SAILOR SONGS as promised for our real friends. We still plan to attend this evenings Survivors Shanty Sing at the Griswold Inn in Essex and we'll report on that as well.

We had the best weather I've ever experienced at Mystic. Looking forward to next year already.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 06:21 PM

Don't waste any of the weekend in sleep! You can get plenty of sleep on Monday!

JWB, look for a personal message from me. I have a question.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 08:42 AM

Judy, I'm also a early (hours, that is!!) to bed & early to rise, tho I've never been shanghaied to work at 9am, but I do get by with very few hours of sleep at Festivals. It's the only way to festival. I don't want to miss anything, especially late night singing sessions.

2 lots of pics!! I can hardly wait

sandra

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: JudyB
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 04:04 AM

Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised after all the times I heard Charlie sing Shanghai Passage - but I've been shanghaied! Charlie & Nor are hard-working volunteers - I was intending to be audience. Somewhere   around 2 am yesterday Charlie mentioned that they had a staffing crisis, so he'd volunteered me to be on the sound crew - and I should report at 9 am to get my assignment.... So I now have a magic pass that gets me into the after-hours parties. But gee - 9 am comes awfully early when you don't get to bed until 3 or 4!

I have some photos from the Friday night "pub sing" which I'll try to post on Charlie's site once we get home on Tuesday. The festival is fantastic, and the weather's even reasonable - a pleasant change from other times I've attended.

Charlie was still singing when I left at 3 am, and he's sleeping on site tonight - but I expect he'll have a full description once he gets near the laptop.

JudyB

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Jun 04 - 10:42 AM

ta - much appreciated.

sandra

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Celtaddict
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 04:40 PM

Sandra, I will surely take more when I am there and love to share them, so mine at least will be up. Wonderful sunset last night, perfectly timed at intermission.

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 10:13 AM

Charley, I hope you or someone else will be taking photos to share with those of us who can't make it!

sandrs

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 08:48 AM

Barry-

Sorry to hear that. We,ll all miss you this round but please come to the next shanty swap at the Press Room.

I did arrive yesterday with my crew in Mystic, with my wife Judy and our former Roll & Go member Alison. We had time for a nice dinner downtown at the Schooner Walk, formerly Trader Jack's. They advertize "Real Food for Real People" and it was quite good.

The evening concert down at the Spring Point shed was a little loosely organized but always fun. The were the usual Mystic shanty singers, Pint & Dale, Georgia Sea Island Singers, Bob Walser, and Jerry Bryant. Jerry had a newly composed Sailortown song that I lust after.

The shanty shout was in the Galley and I broke my advice for leading "Fire Maringo" by pitching it too high. No damage but embarrassing. I did better later with C. Fox Smith's "So Long (All Coil Down)." We had a nice table shared with our group, Celticaddic, her partner, Dave,and another woman. Everyone seemed in good spirits.

Today we are free to wander around the Museum groups until our 6 PM volunteer meeting. We plan to have great fun!

Off to Breakfast!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Barry Finn, forgot to restore my cookie
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 11:59 PM

Hi Charley

Sadly I won't be making Mystic this year, 1st time since the 80's when I stopped going for a number of yrs. I also won't be making Old Songs this year either. At this rate the getaway looks to be fadiing from my sights too.

Downhearted Barry

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 10:40 AM

Does anyone know if folks from New Hampshire are planning to come?

Last year, Barry Finn, Bruce and some of their family members came. Be nice to see some of the folks at the Festival who regularly attend the 3rd Saturday shanty sings in Portsmouth. If you can only come one day, Saturday is probably the best day.

I found my volunteer confirmation letter. Now if I can only find the keys to the van...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Jun 04 - 09:02 AM

Looks like great weather for the entire week-end, although I probably shouln't mention that...

I wonder where I put my volunteer confirmation form!

Here's the phone number for the Griswold Inn in Essex if anyone else is interested in making dinner reservations for Monday's Survivor's Shanty Sing: 860-767-1776

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Jen M
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 07:00 PM

Thanks Dave!

Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
From: Just another Dave
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 06:23 PM

I understand that pre-ordered tickets will be available for you to pick up at the main entrance when you arrive. I had the same concern and received a phone message from the Seaport ticket office today. The past practice was to mail them -- so I was somewhat surprised.
Looking forward to seeing you all!

Dave