Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion

Subject: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,Breanna Lester and Joe Scanlon
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 02:09 PM

As part of our research about "Songs of Death and Disaster" we have so far located 19 songs (or poems) about the 1917 Halifax explosion. (It is not always clear if something is a song or a poem.) The words from the 19 are listed below.

Macintyre, Daniel (Undated) The Halifax explosion song"
Mestre, Eric (Undated) "The Ballad of the Halifax Explosion"
O'Brien, Mary Ellen (1945) "Halifax Disaster"
Peppard, Rosalie (Undated) "Sparkles on her face"

The following are all in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and apparently were all collected and given to the museum by D. Stone. Nothing further is known about this person. We would appreciate any information about any of these songs and anything about Stone. (There is a second Stone mentioned with a different initial.)

In other news, the disaster song project has resulted in two publications:

Scanlon, Joseph, Nick Johnston, Allison Vandervalk and Heather Sparling (2012) "101 Years of Mine Disasters and 101 Years of Song: Truth or Myth in Nova Scotia Mining Songs? "International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters Vol. 30 No. 1 pp: 34-60

Scanlon, Joseph, Allison Vandervalk and Mattea Chadwick-Shubat (2012) "Challenge to the Lord: Folk Songs About the 'Unsinkable' Titanic" Canadian Folk Music Vol. 45 No. 3 pp: 3-10

Please post any info or ideally sent it to Breanna Lester ([e-mail])   or Joe Scanlon ([e-mail])

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,999
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 02:45 PM

"The words from the 19 are listed below."

??

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,Breanna Lester and Joe Scanlon
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 03:00 PM

The song titles are posted here. Sorry for the mishap.

------ (Undated) "December 6"
------ (Undated) "Black Rain"
------ (Undated) "West Street Firemen"
------ (Undated) "Prairie Sailors"
------ (Undated) "Silver Moon"
------ (Undated) "Ghosts of Richmond"
------ (Undated) "I wonder, I wonder"
------ (Undated) "And They're Gone"
------ (Undated) "I heard the soldier's calling"
------ (Undated) "Smoke and Cinders"
------ (Undated) "Ash Pan Anny"
------ (Undated) "Take her away"
------ (Undated) "North Ferry"
------ (Undated0 "Vince's Song"
------ (Undated) "The Halifax Explosion"

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 03:06 PM

This may be Dave Stone, local songwriter who has written several songs about the explosion. Here are some links.

http://www.halifaxexplosion.org/music_legacy.html

http://www.folkalley.com/openmic/artist.php?id=1292

http://www.snaphalifax.com/index.php?option=com_sngevents&id%5B%5D=217949

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,Breanna
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 10:13 PM

Thanks for the help, much appreciated. Also, is there any information about these songs/poems? (Lyrics, places to find tracks?

Schortmann, Marion, "December Disaster"
"Halifax Catastrophe"- R.H. - a survivor (poem)
"Halifax Disaster"- O'Brien, Mary Ellen (1856-c1945)                                                
"Halifax Disaster, The"(1975)- Hall, Barbara                        
"Halifax - Linden, Eric                        
"Halifax Explosion"- Debaie, Mary Ellen (O'Brien)                                                 
"Halifax Explosion"- Randy Ross
"Halifax Explosion"- Morash, Clyde
"Halifax Explosion"- Donaldson, Mae
"Halifax in Ruins"- Fullerton, Sgt S B
"Messenger of Hell"- Davidson, Wilbert (Bill) Forrest
"Record of Halifax Explosion"- Hall, Clark

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: meself
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 01:22 AM

It may be relevant that Dave Stone's bio, on the 'folkalley' website linked above, says that he worked for a few years at a 'museum in Halifax' - quite possibly the Maritime Museum, as there aren't too many others.

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,chuck
Date: 05 Dec 15 - 10:57 PM

Messenger of Hell by Wilbert Forrest Davidson is a story.
It is printed in a book called Yarns Worth The Telling
(published in 1995 by Senior Writers Guild of Nova Scotia).

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 06 Dec 15 - 08:26 AM

I believe that today is the98th anniversary of that tragic event, is it not? I was wondering if any of these songs have been recorded, if so, are they available??

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 06 Dec 15 - 09:22 AM

Halifax singer-songwriter Dan McKinnon is perhaps best known in the city as a busker at the Saturday morning market. In 1997, in cooperation with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, he recorded an album of songs about Nova Scotia history.

The lyrics of one song, "Remember Me," are a composite of Explosion survivors' stories. The chorus tells of a small china mug found undamaged in the wreckage of Richmond.

I remember it well'twas the calmest of days
I remember the sky looked so blue
Mommy and Carmen were practising hymns
And the light from the window shone through
With a flash the earth trembled the flooring gave way
The ceiling and walls tumbled down
The only thing saved from our old house but me
Was this wonderful cup they found
It said....

Remember Me, Remember Me
Inscribed on its side were two words to abide by
Remember Me

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 06 Dec 15 - 09:47 AM

Thank you very much.Is the available as a cd, do you know ?

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Dec 15 - 06:01 AM

You can hear it here;
https://myspace.com/danmckinnon/music/song/remember-me-27221767-27022952

It's on his CD Just Another Day. You can buy it here; http://www.danmckinnon.ca/recordings.htm

And you can see him here;
Dec 10        Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
Songs of the Season at The Rose & Kettle Tea Room
Dec 12        Liverpool, Nova Scotia        
Songs of the Season at Lane's Privateer Inn

And in May 2016 he is touring England and Scotland. Lucky us!

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,Iain G
Date: 07 Dec 15 - 06:39 AM

David Stone did work at the Maritime museum in Halifax he is a Friend of mine, He has a Facebook page, I am sure you could get in touch with him through that.
I have some of his CD's if you want any info let me know.
I shall be sharing a beer or two with him next June when I am over in Nova Scotia.
Every year David puts on a show The Halifax Explosion in Story and Song at the maritime museum.

Iain Glover

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 07 Dec 15 - 07:20 AM

Thank you both very much.

Subject: RE: Folk songs about the Halifax Explosion
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 15 - 08:53 PM

David Stone produced a CD, "Her Own War: The Halifax Explosion Project," which contanins more than a dozen songs he's written on the subject. Several different singers perform the songs. I can't recommend this album highly enough!

In addition, Bob Quinn wrote the song "Night Train," which has been recorded by John Gracie on his "Nova Scotia Lullabye" CD.

And Chuck Hall has written a dandy, titled simply "Halifax." In excellent ballad style, it recounts the story from the POV of a young boy accompanying his grandfather, a doctor from Boston, on the train to to Halifax to render aid to the victims. This is on his CD, "The Northern Sagas."

There is also a song titled "The Sixth Day of December," written and performed by Penny MacAulay (? as I remember it) on LP. Don't know if it's available other than that.