I've known Barry for many years, although there was a period of about 15 years that we lost touch with each other. We reconnected in Portsmouth, NH about five years ago. And, typical of Barry, there was no reproach for the lost years... only full speed ahead... as if we'd never parted.

   I'm in mind, tonight, about getting a call from Barry in the summer of '76, when the tall ships were in Boston, to join him on a jaunt to see if we could find some shanty singing around the ships. So, off we went.

With his typical undaunted style, we soon found ourselves singing shanties on a Polish ship where only one or two of the crew could translate our English. And it didn't matter, the shanties were grand and so was Barry. Many of the tunes were familiar, and many of their chorusus were in English, with Polish verses. We'd trade verses back and forth, Polish, then English, all to much laughter, good cheer, and more than a few beers.
I swear that I could not have talked us aboard that ship in a million years. Yet, Barry had us easily aboard and singing with that combination of nerve and charm.

Upon leaving the ship, we were each presented with a paperback shanty book written in Polish... which I still have in my library.

   Our reunion in Portsmouth took place after his last transplant and I can tell you that Barry lived these last five years to the fullest.

Soon after our reunion, we had convinced ourselves to share our repertoires with each other to see where there might be some overlaps to sing together. I sent off my two 8.5 X 11 single sided sheets of single spaced song listings. In the mail a few days later I received Barry's list of 10 or more sheets single spaced on both sides!! Most of us knew him for shanties. My God, he had the voice for them. But, I've traded songs with him, one on one, all evening and into the wee morning hours... and his music knew no walls. He especially liked ballads and could sing them sweetly or forcefully or tenderly, as required.

   I'm thankful that Barry had finished his CD with Neil, had had a smashing singing success in Britain this year, and had recently started some part time work: estimating construction projects related to his former roofing trade. I know the latter was good for his pride.

Barry was a good friend; had an intelligent, sharp mind; didn't judge folks; really cared about passing on our music to younger folks and encouraged new and shy folks; was fair and caring about his politics; loved his family with ferocity; had courage, spunk, humor, ribaldry; encouraged and supported everyone's music; knew a lot about all kinds of music; was the real McCoy; and at a music event he was the best of all roomates 'cause he was never there: always off singing somewhere.

   With all of his health problems, I never heard him complain, not even once.

   There's a big hole over here.

   He was a solid man.



Mark Ryer