Well, I can report that the Chantey Sing at the Seamen's Chapel is still alive and well. I got there early and the nice young lady guarding the door let me in and even brought me a cup of coffee while I tuned up the banjo and tried out some of my newer songs in the special events room upstairs.

Barb was the first to show up, followed by Bryan, Frank, Jan, Ken, Ali, Dan, Eric and about 20 others. I'm still assimulating names. Frank led off with South Australia, followed by me leading Whiskey-O, Johnny-O, and the evening was off an running.

I found that some of my new songs had "holes" in them but it gave me an excuse for telling folks how they could secure perfect renditions of the songs, now available in "coaster" format as MORE UNCOMMON SAILOR SONGS, not to be confused with last year's UNCOMMON SAILOR SONGS. I got to sing Lumber, Rio, and Lee Fore Brace.

Jan really needs to get his songs recorded. He's written some powerful ones. Dan Milner always comes up with interesting varients of traditional shanties, as does Ken Schatz. Al and Barb always got a good response to their songs, including some ones I hadn't heard from Newfoundland. There was also another couple who led some Carribean songs, and Billy the Squid and Southern Cross.

I even got a ride back to my brother's place in Brooklyn which almost took longer than my trip down to Maine. Some poor soul had stalled her car, partially blocking the entrance ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge. Traffic resumed normally after volunteers shifted her car over the railing to a rousing rendition of Johnny Come Down to Hilo.

Now I get to enjoy a few unscheduled days here before returning to the wilds of Maine on Wednesday.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble