Sources of Great Lakes songs

"Songs of American sailormen," by Joanna C. Colcord, New York, W.W. Norton, 1938. This is an enlarged and revised edition of "Roll and go, songs of American sailormen" which was published in 1924. Most of the songs are salt water, but there are some excellent versions of Great Lakes songs included as well.

The best collection of Great Lakes songs that I know of is Ivan H. Walton Collection : Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (2200 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor 48109). Walton taught English at the University of Michigan School of Engineering, and his collection includes recordings as well as text. The collection does not circulate, and you need to write of call the library to find out the conditions under which you would be allowed to listen to the recordings. Barry O'Neill did extensive work on the collection sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's.

I perform some songs from the Walton collection, including a copper-loading work song and a Great Lakes Sailors' Alphabet.

Dick Swain rswain@wcupa.edu