The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #142374 Message #3281779
Posted By: Sandra in Sydney
29-Dec-11 - 10:27 PM
Thread Name: Shipwrecks on Western Australian coast
Subject: RE: BS: Shipwrecks on Western Australian coast
from Margaret Walters, member of the Roaring Forties & former singing partner of John Warner
There's the 'Wreck of the Dandenong' which Alan Scott used to sing. Kate and Ruth made a beautiful arrangement of it.
words & midi - Wreck of the Dandenong
Kate Burke & Ruth Hazelton
Words & MP3 of Birchgrove Park
The Birchgrove Park by Bill Berry? is one Marg and Bob Fagan sing. So do I and so does Chris Maltby. Can't think of a recorded version. Maybe on Mark Gregory's site. Some of the facts in the song aren't quite spot on, but a friend of mine's father (or was it grandfather) was involved but was so angry and upset about the loss of lives, he wouldn't talk abut it. I gather pressure on the workers to make a fast turnaround meant that proper safety precautions weren't taken.
Danny Spooner sings a Don Henderson song called Thirty Ton Line which is about a tug very badly damaged through lack of adequate hands.
Words & MP3 of Thirty Ton Line
Phyl Lobl was the viaduct of a wonderful poem about a wreck that Rhymin Simon used to sing. I have a feeling someone put a tune to it - maybe Phyl herself.
from Phyl's website -
Adapted and given a tune by Phyl Lobl, this sung ballad of twelve verses was culled and partially rephrased from 35 verses of a poem by an unknown writer.
The poem was given by David Chatfield Edwards (ex Ltnt. Comm. RAN). His great grandfather was Henry Chatfield. The poem was labelled 'The Perilous Gate by the Writer of Craddock Head'. Unfortunately we don't know who that was. It was found with a poem 'Carrwarra' by G.Wood. Perhaps the answer is 'out there'. Simon Campbell sang' Perilous Gate' from a double album 'The People Have Songs' masterminded and produced by Miguel Heatwole.
words & MP3 of Simon singing Perilous Gate