April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH

Subject: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 18 Apr 12 - 02:40 PM

The monthly sea shanty, forebitter, and ballad session will take place this Saturday, April 21, at The Press Room on Daniel Street in Portsmouth, NH from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.

Really looking forward to it for two reasons -- because of the session's date coinciding with St. Patrick's Day, we haven't gotten together since February, and TOM HALL will be there!!!

As most of you already know, Tom dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula on March 14th and is still away from home in a rehab facility getting back on his feet (literally).

Consulted with his physical therapist and other caregivers and this is not only do-able, but will please Tom (and me) no end. I hope a couple strongish guys will show up a bit early (before 3:30) to help me get Tom and his wheelchair up that granite step and into The Press Room.

I also really hope to see a couple people we haven't seen for awhile.

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 18 Apr 12 - 08:14 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Apr 12 - 09:10 PM

Linn-

I'm really sorry to miss this one but I'll be doing a couple of workshops that weekend at NEFFA.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 18 Apr 12 - 09:47 PM

Ah, yes...this is the year the shanty session conflicts with NEFFA.

See you soon, Charley...in May.

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 19 Apr 12 - 06:18 PM

Let's try this again...

This afternoon Tom and I and three physical therapists practiced getting into my car from a wheelchair and back out again several times, getting a bit easier each time. Then I took Tom for a ride, a long loop to enjoy the weather and all the flowering trees and shrubs. Everything is over a month early and all blooming together and all the trees that weren't white, pink or red were leafing out in chartreuse.

Headed out to Dover Point Road at the other end of the road that Langdon Place is on, then turned back towards downtown Dover, up past the hospital and on to Dover's northern end. Then turned around and stopped at McDonald's to get Tom some coffee. He was tired by that time with his practicing and the workout he got this morning, so we headed back to Langdon Place.

Not sure whether it was the weather or MY exertions of this morning, but I was pretty tired, too. Came home and took a nap.

Anybody going to be at the session Saturday? Charley's at NEFFA, Dianne is in France...

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: NbptErnie
Date: 19 Apr 12 - 10:23 PM

Hi Linn,

Amy and I are planning on being there. It'll be good to see Tom! I'll take a look at the Three Sheets FB page to see if there is a reminder there yet, and if not, I'll post one. Last Monday, in all the excitement of our new venue down in Glosta, we forgot to announce that the Pressroom Shanty Session is this weekend.

Hope some others are coming ... otherwise you and I will need to do about two dozen songs each. I'll bring some throat lozenges just in case the Guinness isn't enough to keep us going.

Ernie

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 20 Apr 12 - 07:37 AM

Guinness should work just fine, Ernie! (But VocalZones in my purse are good insurance.) Actually, jalapeños and beer work, too -- makes your throat sweat from the inside.

We could hold our own, just the two of us, but it would be really nice to see more crew.

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Apr 12 - 02:35 PM

Have just enough gas in the car to get me to payday.
Maybe next month when I have my tax refund from the state.
Have fun.
Mary

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 10:53 AM

Good morning... or "morning"...or something like that.

Tom, I think, could tell how exhausted I was when I called him at 8 this morning. He just called me back (about an hour ago) and suggested I NOT take him to The Press Room this afternoon, if for no other reason than that wheelchair is pretty heavy and I have to horse it in and out of the car (after I empty the stuff in the back of my car that I cleaned out of HIS car yesterday...).

Well, actually, I'm completely drained. My brain is fried and I think I may actually have picked up a bug, too, since I've been so completely exhausted and feel like dog shit.

I'm just incapable today of doing ANYTHING or going ANYWHERE. The session will have to go on without either of us. I'm going back to bed, turning the phone off and praying I can get back to sleep for awhile.

I have to work tomorrow, but I'll see if I need to arrange to take part or all of Monday off so I can cope better with working Tuesday. I really need to be in better shape when Tom comes home because that's not going to be what I'd call "easy" either. (Though it will involve a LOT less driving all over hell and gone...)

Sorry. This whole ordeal has made Tom's heart surgery back in 2004 look like a walk in the park. For me, at least. Maybe it's just that I'm eight years older...

I'm going back to bed.

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 10:55 AM

I'll show up by 3:15 to help you roll Tom in.
Marty

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bupkes
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 11:08 AM

Well, a few minutes after I posted, Linn wrote that she and Tom likely will not make it to the session today after all, alas.
Marty

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: NbptErnie
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 01:26 PM

Linn,

I'm sorry that you're not feeling well. We will miss you and Tom today, and hope that you feel a lot better after a good rest. Amy and I plan on going to the Shanty Session at any rate, and I see Marty is planning on it also. Hopefully we'll see others come by with some songs as well. I may bring my guitar along in case I run out of a capella stuff and need to dip into my other bag of songs. I'll try to take notes on songs sung and so on, and get them to you later on.

Ernie

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 Apr 12 - 07:57 PM

Session is over by now...I'm as tired as I was at 10 this morning. Read, under-reacted, slept...only know I slept because I dreamed...at Pete Hale's, in front of a computer, looking at cassette tapes in a drawer while talking to Pete who was out of sight in the dining room eating something before going to an engagement...a female cat appeared with white gloves and a '50s-style white women's purse and a pillbox hat with a veil...and nobody found it unusual...

There's a certain amount of guilt that I didn't accomplish anything today other than reading... That's my upbringing: Midwestern, Germanic, Lutheran and, yes, Republican, dammit. (But Papa, my maternal grandfather was not only a Democrat, but idolized Roosevelt; he was a true New Dealer. And he looked a lot like Lyndon Johnson...)

I'm eating a second supper...a fried ham sandwich. Not quite 8:00, but I'm going back upstairs to bed.

Hope the session went well...sorry to have missed it. Sorry I couldn't bring Tom...

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 10:29 AM

I hope somebody reports yesterday's goings on here...so I can report it to Tom as well. He's decidedly feeling left out...of LIFE, not just Mudcat and The Press Room sessions.

Me? I'm a bit more rested this morning than I was yesterday. The better to go to work and deal with the retail world before going to see Tom after 5 p.m.

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: NbptErnie
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 11:41 AM

Hopefully, this will not be a duplicate post, but first time produced no result, so here goes 2nd try:

The Pressroom Shanty Session convened on Saturday, April 21 2012 at 3:30 and ran until 7:30. Tom Hall and Linn Schulz were both unable to attend

this session, and I sat in as scribe to document the day for them and for the record. Sixteen enthusiasts joined in the revelry, with an especially strong

showing from Gloucester folk. Over the course of the afternoon and evening, we also managed to drag over some others from the pub, who greatly

enjoyed the chanteys and provided a good audience.

In attendence were the following: Ernie Pigeon (NbptErnie), Amy DeSilva, Alexander Thompson, Gardiner Winchester, Crystal Cennami (Gardi's

daughter), Judy Keith, Ray Spieker, Chris Leghorn, Bruce MacIntyre, Jane MacIntyre, Chris Madden, Marty Stock (Bupkes), Barry O'Brien, Pat

Doyle, Meredith Anderson, and Phil Boncer.

Chanteys and other songs sung this day were:

1. The Old Red Duster ................................................................... Ernie Pigeon
2. The Athens Queen ..................................................................... Alexander Thompson
3. Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy ....................................................... Gardiner Winchester
4. Nautical Life .............................................................................. Ernie
5. Fiddler's Green .......................................................................... Chris Madden
6. Go To Sea No More .................................................................. Ray Spieker
7. Dredgin' Is My Drudgery ......................................................... Ernie
8. Go Down You Blood Red Roses .............................................. Alex
9. Pull Down Below ....................................................................... Bruce MacIntyre
10. A Health To The Company .................................................... Chris Leghorn
11. Serafina ................................................................................... Judy Keith
12. A Hundred Years Ago ............................................................ Gardi
13. The Bold Princess Royal ....................................................... Bruce
14. Henry Martin ......................................................................... Alex
15. Arrgh! ..................................................................................... Ernie
16. High Barbary ......................................................................... Gardi
17. Roll On ................................................................................... Marty Stock
18. Four Green Fields ................................................................. Pat Doyle
19. Haul Away Joe ...................................................................... Chris Madden
20. Rolling Down To Cuba .......................................................... Bruce
21. Down Trinidad ....................................................................... Ernie
22. Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya ................................................... Pat Doyle
23. Sailor's Prayer ....................................................................... Barry
24. Ellen Munn ..........................................................................   Bruce
25. Sing To The Lost Souls ......................................................... Ray (his original)
26. Goodbye, Fare You Well ...................................................... Duet of Chris Leghorn and Marty
27. Paddy West ........................................................................... Chris Madden
28. For The Life Of Me .............................................................. Ernie (Terry Cassidy)
29. John Kanakanaka ................................................................ Duet of Gardi and Barry
30. Old Fat Boat ......................................................................... Judy
31. Sailor Loves His Bottle-O ................................................... Alex
32. Iron In The Sand ................................................................. Gardi (His original)
33. West Indies Blues ............................................................... Duet of Ernie and Barry
34. Ranzo Rae ............................................................................ Ray
35. Tickle Pond Cove ................................................................. Marty
36. Newfoundlanders ................................................................. Ernie (Bob Bossin-"The Old Folksinger")
37. Dark Eyed Sailor ................................................................. Chris Leghorn
38. Top Man and the Afterguard .............................................. Alex
39. Fifteen Ships On Georgia's Bank ....................................... Ray
40. As I Rode Out ..................................................................... Gardi
41. Sally Free and Easy ............................................................ Chris Madden
42. Skipper Jan Rebek ............................................................. Marty Stock
43. London Julie ....................................................................... Barry (The Barry Finn verses)
44. Excursion Around Ther Bay .............................................. Ernie
45. Oh, Lonely Light ................................................................ Gardi (His Original)
46. Pay Me My Money Down ................................................. Duet of Gardi and Barry
47. Sailorman's Port In A Storm .............................................. Ernie
48. Big Strong Man .................................................................. Duet of Alex and Gardi
49. Noah Built The Ark ............................................................ Chris Madden
50. Run Come See Jerusalem .................................................. Marty
51. Astoria's Bay ...................................................................... Barry
52. Oh, The Days ..................................................................... Chris Leghorn
53. Seaman's Hymn (aka Nelson's Farewell) ......................... Chris Madden

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 01:31 PM

I'm still trying to get past this headache. Sorry I missed everything/everyone!

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 07:08 PM

Pat Doyle or Pat BOYLE (of the Dover Boyles)?

Thanks, Ernie! I really appreciate it!

Wish we could have been there, but I. just. couldn't.

Tom and I will BOTH be in better shape in May!

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 08:50 PM

Ernie-

Nice to know you folks did so well without some of us regulars. And nobody "stole" any of my songs. Some us were very busy at NEFFA and I hope to get back to the Press Room for May. Maybe even the famous Dog Bar in Gloucester, if the roof is still there.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bupkes
Date: 23 Apr 12 - 12:06 PM

Thanks so much to Ernie for listing the songs. However, my New York accent probably interfered with his catching the titles of two of mine:

17. should be Row On, the chorus of which is

   Row on, row on, another day
   May shine with brighter light;
   Ply, ply the oars and pull away,
   There's dawn beyond the night.

There's a discussion here about its variants.

35. is Tickle Cove Pond, a song from Newfoundland, about a man who calls for rescuing his horse after breaking through the ice of the pond. The chorus goes

Lay hold, William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might,
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can,
And give me a lift for poor Kit on the pond.

Thanks all who drove up all the way from Gloucester, and thanks all for a sweet afternoon of singing.

Marty

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Apr 12 - 10:43 PM

Marty-

I love "Tickle Cove Pond," ever since I heard Dick Swain lead it. The song is credited to a "Mark Walker." Any clue who he was?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 12 - 11:29 PM

Hi Linn,

Re: Pat's name (Doyle or Boyle) ... You might ask Bruce, who seemed to know him, for clarification. I hadn't met him before, and Bruce introduced him to the group. Sounded like Doyle, but worth a check.

Ernie

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 06:54 AM

If Bruce introduced him, it was probably Pat Boyle, a fine piper. Did he bring his whistles or just his voice?

His brother Charlie is wont to wear a shirt that says, "I'm the Irishman your mother warned you about."

Linn

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 11:47 PM

Greetings to all and very sorry to hear of Tom's mishaps - our best wishes for a full recovery.

It looks like we'll be able to make Portsmouth this year! Linn, there's an email for you and Tom at the site.

Jon Bartlett & Rika Ruebsaat (she who is flying overhead as we speak from Germany)

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 08:11 AM

Jon and Rika-

It will be great to see you again at the Portsmouth (US) Maritime Folk Festival, last weekend of September.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 12 - 03:18 AM

... and great to see and sing with you again, Charley. Your "Yang-tse River" goes down a treat on the NW Coast!

Jon

Subject: RE: April Shanty Session, Press Room, NH
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 26 Apr 12 - 07:06 AM

Jon, I passed the your availability on to Tom who will be talking to the Board today. Sorry I didn't get your missive immediately -- I've not been regularly checking Tom's emails (too many other things to attend to)... Thanks for mentioning it here.

Linn