Neither wiki citation, short or long, bans singing in the Royal Navy. Smyth specifically uses the word "song" when a fife "tune" is not played. Simple question: Who decided these are not "shanties" and where can I read up on that?

Is/was there something in Queens Regs banning them? Was there ever really a published, written standard for shanties or singing of any kind in any navy or shipping line anywhere?

What I'm reading is the same old "everybody knows" and "it's obvious" covers for folk legend and invented tradition.

Alternate: Command and control needs increase with the size of the system. Managers of larger crews, navy and merchant, would be more inclined and better staffed and equipped to seek the advantage of music. But that's all modern speculation-v-speculation, not history.

If you think Smyth should have included bugle and/or left out and/or modified/qualified trumpet... go and dig him up and give him a stern talking to. Not my word choice or definition.

fwiw: Blue Light's didn't care for "low" or "crude" songs... like some minstrelsy & shanty lyrics. If "light blue" helps with why an instrumental fife tune is not a shanty then please do explain otherwise let's never mind.