Help: Sailor with Banjo

Subject: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 09:15 AM

Sailor with Banjo is a nautical folk opera by Hamish Maclaren published by The Macmillan Company back in 1930. It's not uncommon to find a copy while browsing dark dusty corners in used book stores. Several of the songs, Yangtse River Shanty and Song of the Brown Sea Rat, are irristible fodder for sea song deconstruction. There are no tunes included in my edition but one can always borrow, recombine, or otherwise adapt. I'm sure other sea shanty folks have puzzled over this book and I'm curious if they have been able to find out anything more about the author and his folk opera.

Here's an example of my reworked version of Yangtse River Shanty:

By Hamish MacLaren, Sailor with Banjo, © 1930
Capstan Shanty adapted by Charlie Ipcar
Tune: Tommy's Gone to Hilo/Congo River

YANGTSE RIVER SHANTY

Chorus:

Blow me down this Yang-tse Riv-er,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

My lo-tus lady, I'll see no more,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Since I left her on the Chi-na shore,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

When we first met, she was like a queen,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Prettiest little thing I'd ever seen,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way...(Chorus)

She'd flashing eyes and long black hair,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
All I could do was stand and stare,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

I bought her silks and a golden comb,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Trouble's over now, the anchor's home,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way...(Chorus)

I blowed my silver for to win her,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Now there's nothing left but donkey's dinner,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

We're outward bound, cookie's in the galley,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Farewell, Young Moon, of the Yangtse Valley,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way..

There's more gold in this book to mine.

Cheerily,
C

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 09:39 AM

Drat! Chorus got clipped. It should run:

A-way, boys, a-way-o,
Blow me down that Yangtse River,
A-way, boys, lift and walk away!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Amergin
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 10:07 AM

Damn, and I was ready to help you out...by telling you what to do with a sailor with a banjo...

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 10:25 AM

Amergin,

That would be a digression and I don't think that is permitted here. Now if I asked about Sailor with Concertina...

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: wes.w
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 12:27 PM

If I've said it once I've said it..
Sailors never had concertinas, sail was out before concertinas came in, its all down to Hollywood movies...
...but they could have had bodhrans!!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 12:52 PM

Wes.W

You may be right about sailors and concertinas in the great age of sail, although I've seen many prints of sailors with accordians in such books as Hugill's Songs of the Sea. But I really would like to hear from someone who has some familarity with my initial query, if that is possible here.

As my students used to say so many years ago:

A water, a water everywheres,
Nor any a drops to drinks.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 05:14 PM

Sorry for keeping the digresion going, but I could not miss passing on the following quote from white British Jazz singer George Melly (paraphrased because it's a lot of years since I heard the interview). "When a sailor was on shore it was Wine, Women and Song. At sea it was Rum, Bum and Concertina!!!"
Quack

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 05:34 PM

OK,Geoff.

And what do they call perfect pitch?

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Owlkat
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 03:41 AM

When you pitch your concertina/accordion/hurdy
gurdy/sackbutt/bagpipes/banjo into a dumpster and you hit
a concertina/accordion/hurdy gurdy/sackbutt/
bagpipes/banjo on the way in. ;-) Owl.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 10:00 AM

Classified AD:

Banjo for sale, great shape, never tuned.:)

But how about the original query?

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Rodent Mariner
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 08:10 PM

Refreshing!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 08:54 PM

The concertina was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1829, well before the age of sail ended, contrary to what Wes.w states. See the Oxford English Dictionary. The reference in my edition goes on to state "improperly applied to inferior instruments of similar nature, such as the accordion, which has a single keyboard, sounds notes in one key only ..." So there, you accordionists!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 08:57 PM

The concertina was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1829, well before the age of sail ended, contrary to what Wes.w states. See the Oxford English Dictionary. The reference in my edition goes on to state "improperly applied to inferior instruments of similar nature, such as the accordion, which has a single keyboard, sounds notes in one key only ..." So there, you accordionists!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 10:16 PM

OOPS! Sorry!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: wes.w
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 07:54 AM

It may have been invented then, but production didn't start up until a lot later, and then only as a superior instrument for use in upper class parlours, way beyond the pocket of Jack Tar. See www.concertina.net for something nearer real life, rather than scholarly mis-theory.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Rodent Mariner
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 11:20 AM

Another fine song from Sailor with Banjo:

But you'll only get one verse at a time in exchange for more direct feedback about initial inquiry.

THE RODENT MARINER
(By Hamish MacLaren, Sailor with Banjo, © 1930 Lyrics adapted by Charlie Ipcar Tune adapted from: Blow the Candle Out)

We are the rodent ma-ri-ne-ers,(1)
As nobody needs be told,
For there's no mis-taking our nau-ti-cal airs,
Our rolling eyes so bold;
There's never a ship leaves English ground,
From Liverpool Docks to Plymouth Sound,
For Frisco Bay or Bombay bound,
But we have free run of her hold!

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Roll&Go
Date: 15 Feb 01 - 02:24 PM

Willio

Here she be.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 08:07 PM

Did a litle more research and found out that the author of Sailor with Banjo published several other books, one nautical, around 1930. None of them looks quite tempting enough to purchase from the internet booksellers. Still, maybe someone by this time recalls something about the author Hamish Maclaren.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble aka Roll & Go-C

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 09:55 PM

Sail is out? Now what in the hell am I supposed to do with my sailboat?

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 11:23 PM

G'day WesW,

The concertina (both good English ones and cheap German models) was available from 1840 odd - common after 1850 - including cheap German ones with brass reeds that didn't rust. The last year of the "Great Grain Race" (to be first sailng clipper back to Britain with South Australian Grain) was 1938/9. The great sailing ships were mostly laid up and didn't come back after WWII.

So how come sailors COULDN'T have had concertinas?

It may be true that more had the small accordions seen in late 19th c. advertisements, but all those old concertinas, commonly played out here in Australia, came out by sailing ship. Those I own, or have owned, have all dates from 1860 to 1880. Passenger ships were using steam or a mix of steam and sail ... but sail was still economical at 19th c. wages and worked commerciallfor another half century.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 01 May 01 - 03:44 AM

Hey, Roll and go, in answer to your question, "What do you call perfect pitch?" I'd have to answer "Pure Stockolm tar".

Off the subject, but you asked for it. During WWII, my dad was an inspector in a factory in Dayton, Ohio,that made binocculars. A lot of Kentuckians worked there. My dad (and I) found them to be really charming people, very funny, when they wanted to be, and really quick on the up-take. Differences in "Accent and pronunciation" accounted for a chuckle or two. One of my dad's co-workers, one day, remarked that he was "Taahr'd" (Tired). "Well", asked my dad, "If your Taahr'd, then, what do they do to a houses roof to make it watertight?" Quick as a wink, and with a twinkle in his eye, the Kentuckian replied," They put pitch on it".

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 May 01 - 09:07 AM

The information I'm primarily looking for may not be that readily accessible. Any hints how one gets biographical information about British authors, a nice lovely website with a link?

Bob, I'm reworking C. Fox Smith's poem "A Wool Fleet Chorus" as a shanty; are you familar with it?

CY – not bad for an older salt.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 May 01 - 09:18 AM

Charley, sometimes you put the thread out there and are doomed to watch it wander all over the place.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 May 01 - 12:29 PM

On concertinas at sea. I met George Herbert about 20 yrs ago & continued correspondance with him up until his death in 1997 he was near 100 by then. George had gone to sea at 13 as cabin boy & started out in the Baltic trades, he finished up as a cape horner. He played uke & concertina & sang his heart out, according to him he always prefered the tropics because it was easier to keep his squeezebox drier in that climate & he did love the music. Hope that clears the issue of concertinas going to sea. Barry

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Metchosin
Date: 01 May 01 - 01:13 PM

My grandfather, Charles Edward Prewett, was raised in an RN orphanage, Greenwhich, UK, a ship's carpenter, sailed under canvas and around the Horn and was a former member of the Thermopolae Club membership in which during his time, required having sailed under canvas. And guess what? He played the concertina and the banjo very, very well.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 01 May 01 - 11:40 PM

G'day Charlie Noble,

" ... Bob, I'm reworking C. Fox Smith's poem "A Wool Fleet Chorus" as a shanty; are you familar with it?"

I am not familiar with that one - so I had better look it up!

BTW: Since I got involved in the concertinas & sailors fracas above ... I have one concertina for which I have some past history: a nice Lachenal 22-key, G/C (with a few extra semitones) Anglo. I know that this one was owned by the (~) 1920s / '30s manager of the Bellbird Coal Mine, up in the Hunter Valley - the scene of a notable mine disater around 1924. The manager was a possible distant relative of your lot - John Noble. Unfortunately I know little more as someone else was supposed to be researching the family, but I have never seen the reslt.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 May 04 - 01:00 PM

It's worth refeshing this old thread because, FINALLY, someone who knows something about Hamish Maclaren has finally contacted me, and apparently sifted through this tangled thread to do so. This person is Hamish's daughter who would like to revive interest in her father and his literary work. I've encouraged her to post some notes on this thread. Please be courteous.

Maclaren's two other published works are Private Opinions on a British Blue-Jacket and his semi-autobiographical sketches in Cockalorum.

In one of his stories about sifting through the reviews of his first novel, Maclaren mentions some "damning with faint praise" comments from P. Stoat Jones who he recognizes as a "jolly sailor-lady" who's "an absolute authority on the sea, particularly at home in a tramp's fo'c'sle when hands are turning to of the morning." This is a veiled reference, of course, to C. Fox Smith.

Mudcat does work, but sometimes the process tries one's patience.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Rev
Date: 02 May 04 - 05:20 PM

Another two cents on the concertina issue. . . I've been reading lots of sailor's journals and logbooks for my dissertation research and have found numerous references to sailors buying concertinas from German traders in the Pacific, circa 1850's. Apparently it was not uncommon for Bremen whaling ships to sail to the Pacific with a cargo of musical instruments: flutes, ocarinas, harmonicas, fiddles, concertinas, etc. . ., and sell them to other ships and people ashore as they whaled their way around Oceania.
Rev

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 May 04 - 11:20 PM

G'day Rev,

I'm interested to hear the results of your reading. As I said well above (and just over three years back) the sailors would have been able to buy inexpensive German concertinas, which had brass reeds, so they would not have had any real rust problems.

I think the English revival of concertina interest from the 1950s / '60s on led a lot of those seeking to "raise" the image of the concertina to disown any connection with scruffy sailors. As well, they were dismissive of the German (and 'Anglo / German) system ... and totally contemptuous of German-made instruments. This misled the early folklorists involved in the rediscovery of Australian song history to take up the English System concertina - which was rare as hens' teeth in the outback - and to ignore the fact that all the good old players in the Bush played (Anglo-) German system.

Good luck with your dissertation ... Can we expect to see a link to it somewhere - or is this just a minor sidelight to matters of deeper import?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,Rev
Date: 03 May 04 - 12:03 AM

Aloha Bob,
I agree, I doubt sailors were playing english-system concertinas, which were considered "sophisticated" instruments from the time of their invention (see Atlas' book on Wheatstone). But there's plenty of evidence that the Anglo-German system was around, especially as you say, in the South Pacific. One of the journals I read talked about a whaling captain purchasing a concertina for one of his sailors at Bay of Islands, NZ. circa 1860.

My dissertation has to do with musical interactions between Euro-American sailors and Pacific Islanders in the 18th and mostly 19th centuries. I'm actually giving a paper on the topic at the Mystic Seaport sea music symposium in June. I hope to be done with the project about a year from now, and someday have it published. Someday . . .

Rev

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 May 04 - 11:06 AM

Sigh.

Let the concertina folks post to a thread and they truly run amok. It's not that I have anything against concertinas, harboring two little anglos myself, but once again you have frustrated my attempt to refocus this thread, and just when a real connection has been made with Hamish's daughter. It's almost enough to motivate me to track down your concertina threads and fill them up with banjo jokes. But I do recognize that your interest in concertinas is a serious one, just misplaced.

Hamish's daughter informs me that she is now planning to begin a master's program in literature focused on her father's work. I think that's great!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 May 04 - 11:59 PM

Ah ... G'day Charley,

Sorry if we are focusing on the wrong 'windjammers' ... but I was just on the 'phone to arrange repairs to my brother Eric's c. 1890 Clifford Essex Special XX Banjo ... and thinking of dragging my banjo down from the top of the bookcase on the top of the other bookcase ... so I'm not being one-eyed about concers!

On another tack, you mentioned, way back, the lack of tunes in Hamish Maclaren's published operas. If tunes existed, it strikes me that British copyright law of the day may have required that copies of any published music be lodged with copyright authorities ... and some designated deposit libraries. Perhaps you need to run the enquiry past Malcolm Douglas, whose editorial / curatorial roles with the EFDSS should have him in close touch with that sort of information ... and the appropriate contacts for the statutory collections.

Regards,

Bob (Bang, toot, rattle, plunk ... and squeeze!)

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 May 04 - 04:59 PM

Bob-

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll PM Malcolm Douglas and see if he's able to sort out anymore info. Hamish apparently was not a packrat himself, and his brother Colin, who was, unfortunately left all his stuff to a neighbor who got rid of much of what he'd been collecting over the years; the daughter was only able to save a few letters and a poem before "stuff" was sent to the dump.

And do take down your old banjo and pick a tune or two. It can't possible hurt.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 04 May 04 - 06:20 PM

The first edition was a limited run of 55 copies on handmade paper (Victor Gollancz: London, 1929; pp 85). Unless that edition contains material not in the 1930 edition, you're stuck, probably. I take it that Maclaren didn't specify tunes? Not having seen the book, I can't really be of any help (I'm a lot less knowledgeable than Bob suggests!) but I shouldn't be surprised if this were a literary work not really intended for performance. Maclaren may well have modelled his verses on existing songs that he knew, of course, but any identification is likely to be guesswork unless his daughter can help with inside info.

In cases where a score is available separately from the libretto, you'd expect some reference to it; the British Library online catalogue (admittedly not complete) lists only the three books by Maclaren. You could try contacting a dealer who has the original limited edition in stock, just to check, but I wouldn't hold out much hope.

Meanwhile, here is a photo of a sailor with a banjo:  Sailor with Banjo (c.1890?)

There is some related genealogical information at  Maclaren genealogies

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: EBarnacle
Date: 04 May 04 - 07:13 PM

One year at Mystic, I asked Stan whether he had ever seen a concertina aboard ship. His response, "Anglo, yes, English, never." His additional comment was that it was a class thing. Sailors were not of a class to have the more expensive instruments, so they settled for the 'lesser' types. Nuff sed.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 May 04 - 07:55 PM

Malcolm-

Thanks for giving this one a fresh try. The three works that were published in book form are mentioned above in this thread: Private Opinions of a British Blue-Jacket (July, 1929), Sailor with Banjo (1930), and Cockalorum (summer 1936).

The Maclaren Geneologies website is maintained by a Hamish Maclaren who is a distant cousin of the literary Hamish Maclaren we are concerned with. I have referred his daughter to the junior Hamish.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: GUEST,MGlenday
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 03:13 PM

I have a copy of the first edition of Sailor with Banjo; it is signed 'VN Longbarn Oct 1929' and is a review copy sent to VN (who is, I think, Vita Sackville-West, though if anybody out there can confirm this . . .) by Gollancz, the publishers of the book, dated Monday, Sept 23rd 1929. The review slip tells us (in pencil) that the price of the book will be 1/- i.e. one shilling. Reply if this is of any interest . . .

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Oct 05 - 08:37 PM

Thanks for the details. I do follow up leads on this author with great interest. It's an interesting story.

The last time I heard from Hamish's daughter she was resident in Malta.

Two of Maclaren's poems are set to music on my website: Yangtse River Shanty and Rodent Mariners: Click here!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 12 Oct 05 - 07:27 PM

was hoping this thread was about Eric Ilott. he had a napsack full of banjos.

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Linda Goodman Zebooker
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 09:56 PM

I've started writing a little song that seems to have a sailor with a banjo in it. Having a vague recollection of hearing about this, but wanting not to be totally wrong before I go any further, I've been wondering if sailors of the past did play banjo, if so was it common, and what kind of sailors did so... did whaling men?, was it riverboat sailors? etc. I haven't yet figured out what kind of sailor the one in my song should be.

I've seen photos of sailors with banjos, but they look quite posed, and no earlier than 1900. The little book I have that goes along with a Mystic Seaport Chantyemen tape, "Songs of the Sailor" also shows some banjos, but hard to tell the context.

I found this thread, not through Mudcat, but rather through Google, and also a link to the liner notes of Charley Noble's CD Uncommon Sailor Songs. Of course! I said to myself. I realized I had that CD sitting on my coffee table - I was planning to listen to it soon, and I hadn't yet read the notes. I have indelible memories of hearing Barry Finn and others singing the "Yangtse River Shanty" at the Getaway, but had never heard of Sailor with Banjo before. The CD has a banjo accompaniment.

My song, should I ever finish it, seems to want a concertina accompaniment, which I had been assuming would be authentic. Reading the messages above - I guess that's a different kettle of fish to sort out!

I'd appreciate any information....

Linda

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Barry Finn
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 01:50 AM

Hi Linda & thanks for the kind rememberences & words.

"My song, should I ever finish it, seems to want a concertina accompaniment, which I had been assuming would be authentic. Reading the messages above - I guess that's a different kettle of fish to sort out!"

A friend of mine who sailed in the Baltic & Cape Horn trades from the time of WWI to sometime prior to WWII took on board sailing vessels a uke, harmonica & concertina & from how he talked about it, it seemed to be a common occurrence though I've heard others swear that concertinas didn't go to see. At least they did then.

Can't help with the banjo but I'm sure that you'll be finding out more shortly.
Good Luck & hope you'll be making the Getaway this year too. Looking foward to hearing you again.

Barry

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: curmudgeon
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 05:25 AM

If you'd like to see some "unposed" sailors playng banjos, guitars, concertina, bones, go
here and scroll down to near the bottom of the thread,

Also, Bob Webb is working on a book about banjos at sea. I'll post his website later.

Looking forward to hearing the song - Tom

Subject: Lyr Add: GIMME DE BANJO + COAL BLACK ROSE
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:24 AM

Linda-

I'll also look forward to what you come up with.

My understanding is that banjos went to sea during the minstrel craze which swept 19th century North America from the late 1830's on. Some of the shanties themselves were adapted from minstrel songs as Doerflinger and Hugill point out. Here's a great example from SHANTIES OF THE SEA SEAS, p. 256:

Gimme de Banjo

This is the day we make our pay-day,
Dance, gal, gimme de banjo!
Oh, that banjo, that seven-string banjo,
Dance , gal, gimme de banjo!

Haul away for Campeachy Bay...
Oh, haul away an' stretch out yer pay-ay...

A dollar a day is a buckera's pay...
Oh, bend yer high shoes an' lavender breeks, boys...

There's my Sal, she's the gal for me, Boys...
Oh, I know that she'll be a-waiting for me-e...

I'll bang on the banjo -- to show her my love-o...
Oh, that banjo -- that ping-a, pong-a banjo...

Another shanty but from the West Indies (Harding of Barbados) also makes explicit reference to the banjo, from SHANTIES OF THE SEVEN SEAS, p. 274:

Coal Black Rose

O, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose,
Don't ye hear the banjo
Ping-a-pong-a-pong?
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!

O, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose,
Strung up like a banjo,
Taut an' long,
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!

O, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose,
The yard is now a-movin',
Hauley-hauley, ho!
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!

O, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose,
The Mate he comes around, boys,
Dinging an' a dang!
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!

O, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose,
One more pull, boys,
Rock an' roll' er high!
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Barry Finn
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:33 AM

Charlie, would you sing that last one.

Barry

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: fretless
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 10:42 AM

Here's a banjo as part of a U.S. civil war era band on the USS Wabash: banjo on board

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Amos
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 11:14 AM

In the Star of India's tweendecks, here in San Diego, there is on exhibit an old banjo that is presented as among the instrument the full-rig sailors played when they had time. The Star was born the Euterpe and served as wool-clipper between England and New Zealand in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. She is iron-plate-and-rivet construction, with towering masts and beautiful acreas of white canvas, and still sails out of San Diego from time to time on ceremonial occasions.

Unfortunately there is no specific information about the banjo.

The MAritime Msueum here which is associated with her, and several other old ships in their collection, hosts a Maritime Library full of old magazines and books covering every aspect of sea-going life, and perhaps their librarian could help you. I am sure they are on the web.

A

Subject: RE: Help: Sailor with Banjo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 08:29 PM

Barry-

It's a little tough for me to sing more than harmony on "Cold Black Rose" but I understand some guy by the name of Neil Downey can give a great rendition, and some exta verses.

Actually, Neil is one of Barry's long-time singing partners and we're just amusing ourselves with some of what we're saying.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble