Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan

Subject: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: GUEST,Larry Kaplan
Date: 18 Apr 21 - 02:59 AM

A song about Admiral Robert Fitzroy, Captain of the vessel that brought Charles Darwin to new lands.


https://youtu.be/jYCxP2aCgRU

Copyright, 2018, Hannah Lane Music

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Apr 21 - 12:12 PM

Great song, Larry. Keep 'em coming. Might you like to post the lyrics at Mudcat? Larry's notes:

Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy FRS was the British Navy Captain who commanded the HMS Beagle on Charles Darwin's scientific journey to the Galapagos Islands. He died feeling deceived by Darwin for having believed that the wonders he co-discovered were God's work, not only the work of science. This was written on a cold snowy night in Castine Maine, and I dedicate it to dear friend, presenter, and accomplished collector of folk song, Art Dean of Norwich, CT. USA.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: EBarnacle
Date: 22 Apr 21 - 11:58 AM

As always, Larry has created a memorable song.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: robomatic
Date: 22 Apr 21 - 02:47 PM

This is wonderful. Captain (and Governor) Robert FitzRoy comes off in Darwin's writings as a profoundly decent man, and this is seconded by what I have read of his history in New Zealand, where he attempted to defend the rights of the indigenous and beleaguered Maori people against colonists and was abused for his actions. That Larry Kaplan gives him his voice in a fine example of songwriting is also profoundly decent.

Captain Fitzroy is fascinating in that he believed in progress, science, and clove to his understanding of Biblical Scripture all at the same time. I won't run the risk of belittling him by putting him in a pigeonhole as 'transitional'. I much prefer to think of him as a 'man in full' doing his best to resolve his ideals with the world of change he not only found himself in, but participated in. He and Charles Darwin had opportunity to discuss all these issues, and they did, and they had disagreements in plenty. But they had breath and minds and utilized them to the full.

I salute Larry Kaplan for his great choice of subject and verses.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: DaveRo
Date: 22 Apr 21 - 04:24 PM

In Britain, Fitzroy us probably best known for his pioneering work on weather forecasting. His name is heard daily by seafarers - and early-rising radio listeners - as the name of a sea area in the shipping forecast. Typically - Fitzroy being in the south west where Atlantic storms come in - there is a gale brewing at the moment:

FitzRoy:
    Gale warning
    Issued: 15:53 (UTC) on Thu 22 Apr 2021
    Southeasterly gale force 8 expected soon

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Apr 21 - 01:55 PM

Another song to actually ponder!

Cheerily,
Charlie Ipcar

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Darwin’s Captain by Larry Kaplan
From: GUEST,Larry Kaplan
Date: 30 Jan 22 - 05:06 PM

Thanks for those most kind comments. I very much appreciate them all. FYI silence doesn’t always means someone’s disappeared from the face of the earth and I’ve been quite busy on the music front nonetheless. Covid lockdowns notwithstanding, I’m trying like so many others to keep the music flowing. Have just completed writing a song comprised of the entire locations sited in the Shipping Report which we hear daily here in the UK. I mention this because Fitzroy created that concept along which the foundations of UKs Met. Office that issues a range of forecasts via the BBC. He also originated the concept of marker buoys, and even developed a glass barometer that Mariners could use at sea. He was genuinely interested in Darwin’s work but later on was torn by reconciling his deep religious views with Darwin’s new Theory of Evolution. Anyway I’ll be posting a bunch others which you might be interested. “The Shipping Forecast” is still posted in FB as part of this past year’s Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival, and some other songs are on my Facebook page. But Muscat feels like the right place for all of that so please stay tuned.