shanty writing contest

Subject: shantey writing contest
From: Margo
Date: 01 May 00 - 09:02 PM

It's on again this year!! Victory Music in Tacoma, Washington is once again putting on a sea shanty writing contest. It is open to anyone, but the finalists have to perform September 16th in Tacoma. If you want to find out more about it you can go to http://www.brothermedia.com/shanty/index.html for all the details. I've got one song ready to submit, and am working on another. Margo

Subject: RE: shanty writing contest
From: Ship'scat
Date: 01 May 00 - 09:40 PM

Wouldn't a wonderful addition to your shanty writing contest be a shanty FINDING contest? If more (or all) of us spent more time on FINDING shanties before they get lost, the world would be an more better place.

They're out there folks, in adled geezer brains and old attic'ed trunks and every year there are fewer and fewer (geezers, trunks and shanties). Some day there will be none at all. My good friend and shanty singing shipmate Jon Eberhardt, a shanty (and other song) writer of no small talent, never let an opportunity go buy to challenge people to find old songs. Guess what they found them!

Of course finding 'em is harder than writing 'em.

I wish all contestants the best of luck and may the best shanty person win, KC

Subject: RE: shantey writing contest
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 02 May 00 - 04:21 AM

Amen, Ship'scat. It is a special experience to learn of authentic chanteys outside of those found in the major collections (Hugill, Doerflinger, Colcord, etc.). There must be seafaring and fishing worksongs passed down through generations in the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands, for example, that will be lost forever if not recorded. What of the Gaelic traditions, the Faroe Islands, other sources? Not to knock current songwriting, but your point of where energies should also go is well taken.

Subject: RE: shantey writing contest
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 02 May 00 - 08:16 PM

Excellent comments gentlemen! Margo i wish you luck in the contest but I have to agree more time should be spent finding and cataloguing the Chanties that are out there. For instance, How many people know the song Roll Alabama Roll or The Cumberland? While neither are chanties both are songs that were sung by the Union and Confederate navies respectively. How many Sea Chanyeys were lost that the Navy wsang in the days of sail? A place to start might be the historian for the U.S.S. Constitution or with the Naval Archives in Washington D.C. Or with the Royal Navy Archives or that H.M.S. Victory's historian in Portsmouth, England. Reguards Neil

Subject: RE: shantey writing contest
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 02 May 00 - 08:22 PM

There was a large collection made by a Captain of the training ship HMS Conway.. I heard some of it was lost years ago in a fire, but never heard what happened to the rest. Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: shantey writing contest
From: Margo
Date: 02 May 00 - 11:12 PM

I wouldn't have a clue as to where to look for shanties. I think you'd have to do a lot of traveling to meet the folks who know them. I'm tied down, so that's out of the question. I enjoy writing, but I write mostly sea songs, as opposed to real working shanties (although I just wrote one that could be considered a capstan shanty). Oh, and Roll Alabama Roll is a favorite around here! Margo

Subject: RE: shantey writing contest
From: Kelida
Date: 02 May 00 - 11:22 PM

Shanties and Sea Songs

Songs of the Sea at Marianas Trench

Sea Shanty Library

Margo--Here are a few sites about shanties and other sea-related songs. Hope you can learn something about shanties. . .

Peace--Keli

Subject: RE: shantey writing contest
From: GUEST,Barry Finn
Date: 03 May 00 - 10:31 AM

Hi Margo, good luck in the contest, I hope you do as well or better as you did last year. Years ago I ran across an old Cape Horner who had been in the Baltic trades before that (George Herbert, Master Rigger from West Geelong). I met him during the restoration of the brig Carthaginian in Maui. He had collected shanties from when he was younger & sailed in those trades. It was only by pure luck that I met him, that was now over 20 yrs ago. He died a couple yrs ago well into his 90's. A few of the songs I got for him I've never heard though I have seen in Hugill's collection some versions (not real close). What I'm saying is that the uncovering of lost or uncollected songs is at best in our time a shot in the dark, at worst it'll never happen for most, so please help to keep our music alive by continuing to add to it. Thanks for love of the songs, Barry)

Subject: RE: shanty writing contest
From: Margo
Date: 04 May 00 - 12:39 AM

Speaking of luck and collecting, here's an old thread about a shanty and how different versions came about... Margo