February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing

Subject: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 07:59 AM

This Saturday, February 15, 2014, is our monthly Press Room Shanty, Forebitter, and Ballad Sing, from 3:30 until 7:30.

The location is, of course, The Press Room on Daniel Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. So far the weather looks good -- sunny and breezy. Hope this prediction is more accurate than last month's!

I'm looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible! Last month's turnout, despite the snow and hideous driving conditions, was quite remarkable.

I've finally got my act together and scheduled Tom's memorial gathering. It will be upstairs at The Press Room on Saturday, March 1 from 2-5-ish PM. Somehow I have the feeling music will be involved...

Linn

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Severn
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 01:42 PM

Wish I could be there!

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 07:01 PM

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: GUEST,Tim Hague
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 12:00 PM

Hi, I'm thinking or coming over in the summer and doing some touring around NH and Mass as its a part of the States I've not been to. Do you know of anything festival wise or shanty singing wise in June/July?, or maybe September October...

Thanks

Tim

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 08:44 PM

Both the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Maritime Folk Festival, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, Working Waterfront Festival are the last weekend in September. I am loyal to the New Bedford festival which is much closer to my home in Rhode Island, but my impression is that there is more music at the New Hampshire Festival. The New Bedford Festival has 2 music stages (and a 3rd at certain hours), but also includes related activities like author talks, demonstrations, and contests.

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 09:43 AM

Tim, this shanty sing is always the THIRD Saturday of the month at The Press Room from 3:30-7:30. (Although we may have an alternate date in August only...)

The day before is the weekly Press Room trad session -- from 5 to a little before 9. English, Scots, Irish, sea music, Music Hall -- vocal and instrumental.

The last full weekend in September is the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival -- two days of FREE music (donations requested -- that's what keeps us going). This year's dates are September 27 & 28. More information at PMFF -- schedule won't be up until August, performers probably June or July.

Hope we see you! Please introduce yourself.

Linn

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 09:49 AM

It's winter, isn't it...

I've just started shoveling the heavy wet stuff off the deck -- it will take awhile to get to the car. This is Friday and it should be sunny by afternoon.

Alas, the weather for tomorrow, Saturday, looks like more snow and temperature hovering around freezing just to add a little more excitement to the driving situation.

All, I can say is, we were in the middle of hideous driving conditions last month and the session was almost entirely composed of people who had driven a distance -- Gloucester, Worcester, and Norwood, Mass. I'm only 25 miles away in Nottingham. We had a GREAT sing!

But...don't take chances and drive very very carefully...

Linn

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: GUEST,Don Hale
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 03:06 PM

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor dark of night shall keep us from our appointed rounds........
                                     Don

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 10:11 PM

You're good, Don...you're REALLY good!

Linn

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: GUEST,Don Hale
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 01:04 PM

Well, the sabre rattlers in the various weather centers are giving me pause, in spite of your ringing endorsement, Linn. The thought of proposed blizzard conditions along the coast (I-95, my way home)at night, plus 8" in our driveway if and when I get home suggest that discretion may in fact be the better part of valor! Oh well, I'll be there in spirit, so sing one for me. I'll be awaiting the song list.
                                        Don

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 03:15 PM

I had to go to Dover, and on the way home, I had a couple epi-fannies. 1) Every time it snows (once a week), I get a damned headache, and 2) No Way In Hell I was going out again in this. The roads aren't that bad (yet), but I'm offended. I had to go to the store...well, I went to 3 looking for one specific brand and flavor of ice cream, because it's snowing and you hafta have ice cream, and it has to have no HFCS or carrageenan or whatever gum because that stuff's bad for you and/or tastes like shit. So I went, and so did everybody else, most of whom seemed to be buying beer.

I made it home, but I'm in for the night... and perhaps the month.

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 08:22 PM

No, I totally spaced the Press Room gathering but given the weather I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. Hope everyone had a great time.

Instead, Judy and I spent a pleasant afternoon editing the harmonies for one of the songs on Mike Kennedy's great new CD.

Charlie Ipcar

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 08:59 PM

I'm home safe...slow and tedious drive, but other than a few stupid drivers in Portsmouth (one of whom, after he figured out that I couldn't leave the parking space he wanted to get into unless he moved out of my way, then turned the wrong way on one-way Penhallow Street), most were content to drive slowly but steadily on the Spaulding and Rte.4.

We didn't achieve a quorum until after 4:00, but we had some fine singing this afternoon. And shut down about a half hour early when an extended song discussion was interrupted by the bartender turning the recorded music back on.

More tomorrow, of course.

Linn

Subject: RE: February Press Room (NH) Shanty Sing
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Feb 14 - 02:10 PM

The Crew on this snowy afternoon:

I was the first to arrive and got to listen to a little bit of jazz before they packed up to make room for the shanty sing. And Dave Nunes arrived next from Gloucester. Dianne Lavoie and Emery Hutchins came in and we tried to decide whether we should leave the tables as they were or shift into our usual or a modified configuration. Then Carol Coronis arrived and tried to calculate the arrangement that would give us the most outside seating space with us circled around it...we pushed the tables together into a new (or at least different) arrangement. Barry O'Brien and Pete Hale also braved the driving conditions from the Gloucester area and Merrimack respectively, and Dave Hallowell from in-town Portsmouth. We got started a little later than usual, but had some fine singing --

1. Ode To Whiskey (tune) - Emery Hutchins (Anglo concertina)
2. Willie Taylor - Carol Coronis
3. Reuben James - Emery Hutchins
4. Donkey Riding - Barry O'Brien
5. All For Me Grog - Dianne Lavoie
6. Cruising 'Round Yarmouth - Linn Schulz
7. Foggy Banks - Pete Hale
8. On Board a 98 - Dave Hallowell
9. Home, Dearie, Home - Linn Schulz
10. Harp Without the Crown - Emery Hutchins
11. Haul Down Billy O'Shea - Barry O'Brien
12. Marching Inland - Dianne Lavoie
13. St. Brendan's Voyage - Pete Hale
14. Neptune's Daughter - Carol Coronis
15. Sailor's Prayer - Linn Schulz
16. Old Zeb - Emery Hutchins
17. Whitby Maid - Carol Coronis
18. Roll Down - Dave Hallowell (which reminds me I need to refresh my memory
      of "Fall Down" for Pete Hale's wedding in August)
19. Shawnee-Town - Emery Hutchins
20. Isle au Haut - Dianne Lavoie
21. The Voyage - Pete Hale
22. Sailor, Sailor, Would You Marry Me? - Carol Coronis
23. Bottle of the Best - Linn Schulz
24. St. Louis Town - Dianne Lavoie
25. Pay Me My Money Down - Barry O'Brien
26. The Kangaroo - Pete Hale
27. The Rosabella - Dianne
28. Whiskey-O, Johnny-O - Linn Schulz (and was ambushed by tears
      at the last line which Tom had used for the title of his 1986 cassette)
29. Donegal Danny - Pete Hale
30.I Wish I Had Someone to Love Me - Dianne Lavoie

And then our discussion went on a little too long for the bartender's taste (it was about 20 minutes before we'd normally close the session) so he turned the canned music on.

So, what's the chances of two sessions in a row being hampered by tricky, snowy, tedious driving conditions? First time in twelve years... Good session and great singing, though!

Linn
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