December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing

Subject: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Dec 12 - 12:12 PM

Okay, last month it was Don Hale (BTW, good job, Don, at instilling guilt in your son Pete for his lack of recent attendance!) and this month it's Curmudgeon himself who gave me hell for not getting this posted in a timely fashion. (His eyes were actually working okay awhile ago but he "couldn't find the session announcement" -- I had to tell him it wasn't his vision and he wasn't going crazy; I was just totally remiss...again.)

Anyway, the December Monthly Shanty, Forebitter, Ballad, and Annual Seasonal Song Session will be happening this Saturday, December 15th at The Press Room in Portsmouth, NH from 3:30 to 7:30 PM -- but...as Bruce Pingree mentioned that the PMAC kids won't be finished upstairs until 4 or 4:30-ish. Since that's amplified rock and jazz ensembles, we might find it difficult trying to compete except during quieter moments. That's just a warning that we may have to talk (loudly) amongst ourselves at times.

But this annual sea and seasonal song session usually brings out a lot of material not sung the rest of the year. We'll definitely have to do Brian Chadburne's "Shopping Shanty" and, I'm sure, Charlie has a few seasonal songs about traditional Maine weather, etc.

Oh, and on a personal note, Tom and I met on December 15, 1980 at a Christmas party at Fishtraks recording studio. The rest is history...

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Dec 12 - 08:35 PM

Well, I'll be there for sure but maybe I'll come around 4 if there is going to be a lot of noise up aloft.

I'll see if I can polish up at least one Christmas shanty.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 09:35 AM

Well, I've heard from Bill Perry who says he's coming and from some listeners who say they will be there.

Remember, we may get started a little late.

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 05:03 PM

Weather looks good. We may have some guests coming up from the south. I told them to say "Charley Noble sent us!" Hope that's OK.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 09:55 PM

Of course it's okay, Charley.

We can socialize (and possibly get a song or two in) while waiting for the PMAC kids to finish upstairs.

Larisa (one of the Press Room servers) said tonight she doesn't know why the PMAC doesn't choose a different Saturday in December instead of the third one. Sigh.

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 01:37 PM

Ahah! Have heard from a friend from the Kennebunk area who we haven't seen at a session for some time (although we saw him at the PMFF concert in September). He's coming and he has a great repertoire of songs we rarely hear.

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Dec 12 - 01:47 PM

I'll be there, if only to get the hell out of the house for a while and associate with real people (other than the ones at work). My post-cold sinuses are still doing some bizarre things.

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 09:17 AM

Really nice session despite the late start (4:45) because of the PMAC kids upstairs. (The jazz emsembles sounded really good.)

It was good to see a few people not usually around. Joe and Lorna Simes came to this session for the first time. And Rich Gaito from Kennebunk hasn't been for several years.

I'll post the crew and song list later.

Thanks, everyone, for coming!

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Jeri
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 09:35 AM

It was Pink Floyd night upstairs. (I managed to figure out much of "Brain Damage" (ironic?) on concertina. I sang one song, and wound up in a back booth talking, which was probably better for my voice.

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 12:55 PM

Nice to see Rich Gaito again, and with another of his remarkable homemade instruments, this time a banjo uke.

Dave Hallowell has been posting some fine photos of the session on Facebook.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 04:34 PM

Okay, the crew in attendance (either as singers or listeners) were Tom Hall (Curmudgeon), Linn Schulz (Bat Goddess), Jeri, Ernie Pigeon (NbptErnie), Dave Hallowell, Joe & Lorna Simes, Erin & Lindsey, Charlie Ipcar (Charley Noble), Don Hale and his lovely wife whose name totally escapes me, Bill Lehrman & Carol Pierson, Rich Gaito, Barbara Benn, Jeff Warner, and Phil & Kristine Boncer. Did I forget anyone?

We only had about 2 hours and 45 minutes because of the late start, but here goes --

1. When Our Ship Comes Home - Ernie Pigeon
2. The Old Pagoda Anchorage - Charlie Ipcar
3. Home, Dearie, Home - Linn Schulz
4. Black Bird, Get Up - Jeri
5. Bring a Tot to Me - Rich Gaito
6. Big Bow Wow - Don Hale
7. Heading Home - Dave Hallowell
8. Lana's First Sail - Ernie (written by Doug Johnson)
9. Shopping Shanty (Santa Come Back) - Linn
    (written by Brian Chadbourne)
10. Shovelling Shanty - Charlie
11. Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor - Rich
12. Hurrah, Sing Fare You Well - Don
13. Round the Corner Sally - Dave
14. Madam Gashay's - Linn
15. The Life of Me - Ernie
16. Drink to the Men - Charlie
17. Away, Rio - Rich
18. Maggie May - Linn (one of Tom's songs; think I've finally got it)
19. Fogarty's Cove - Ernie
20. Norfolk Express - Charlie
21. Gosport Nancy - Rich
22. Christmas In Gloucester - Ernie
23. Whiskey-O, Johnny-O - Linn (another of Tom's)
24. West Indies Blues - Charlie
25. Jolly Roving Tar - Rich
26. Alabama John Cherokee - Ernie
27. Ballad of the Bolivar - Charlie
28. Johnny Todd - Rich
29. Greenland Whale Fisheries - Ernie
30. Mobile Bay (Roll the Cotton Down) - Charlie
31. Bay of Biscay - Linn
32. The Nannie C. Bohlin - Ernie (from a PBS documentary
    on Gloucester)
33. Hurrah, Sing Fare You Well - Jeff Warner
34. Laying On the Screw (Yakker, Yakker, Yakker) - Charlie
35. Lady Franklin's Lament - Don
36. The Lovely Athens Queen - Ernie
37. Go To Sea No More - Rich
38. Sailor's Prayer - Linn (written by Tom Lewis)
39. Nelson's Prayer - Jeff Warner


Rich Gaito was also talking about the Sweet Chariot Music Festival on Swan's Island, Maine. Check out the music and photos at http://www.sweetchariotmusicfestival.com/

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: GUEST,Don Hale
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 05:23 PM

My lovely wife, i.e. the light of my life, is Cathy.
                         Don

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 05:42 PM

Thank you, Don! As I've often said (just last night, I think), my random access memory is getting more and more random.

Now, if Tom and I had REALLY tried to celebrate our "Other Anniversary" properly, we should have stopped at Gillie's on the way home last night. Gillie himself is, alas, no longer with us, but an expanded diner/lunch cart in a permanent position (that means no more tires beneath it) is still in the location where Tom and I first visited it together (along with banjo player Bob Frost and our future best man)on our way to my apartment from the party at Fishtraks where we met back on December 15, 1980.

We didn't. Just had the first course (found a tin of escargot in the larder and have plenty of garlic and butter) of our anniversary dinner treats (along with a glass of our anniversary "champagne" -- actually cava -- which was in the upstairs fridge). Tight budget this year but at least we can drink the Freixenet out of the painted Perrier-Jouët "Fleur de Champagne" glasses we got on our first wedding anniversary.

We'll postpone the tree trimming (also traditional for our "other anniversary") until we actually GET the tree...

Linn

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 09:58 PM

Linn-

List looks great to me! We certainly had no trouble filling the evening with songs.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: stallion
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 12:42 PM

a lot of songs for the time, no drinks break?

Subject: RE: December Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Jeri
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 01:55 PM

Never a reason to take a break for drinks. They arrive as if by magic (actually via a server with a tray).