Sorting out what we've been doing in the last 20 or 30 years, reviving and adapting traditional sea music, seems an interesting question in addition to trying to read the "grog dregs" of what was actually sung in the 19th or early 20th century.

Well, I sure think so. I usually try to remind myself, too, that the in period before year 'X' (say, '1900') these songs did not necessarily remain unchanged, but rather people were shaping their trajectories decade by decade, too (even if the media were different).

Charley, great spot with the Victory Sings example.