November Shanty Session at Press Room

Subject: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: curmudgeon
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 02:02 PM

When the first Saturday of the month is also the First, it can cause confusion as to the Second Saturday which is 8 November and will be the date of the Monthly Shanty / Forebitter Session at the Press Room, 77 Daniel Street, Portsmouth NH from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.

Hope to see lots of you there, especially some who've been noticeably absent for a while -- Tom

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Nov 03 - 05:19 PM

Tom-

Now that's a great idea, a gathering of folks singing out sea shanties and sea ballads in an old pub. I think I'll give it a try! Now let me get this straight, the "forebitters" are for the early part of the session, to be followed by the "mainbitters", and then we wind everything up with the "mizenbitters."

I'll see if I can lure anyone else to the gathering.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 09:51 AM

Nor will be coming along with me on Saturday and he's got a most amazing new song that he's planning to "Bruce."

Do you suppose we could hear a "stump shanty"?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: curmudgeon
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 12:52 PM

We must not neglect the afterbitters, nor the angostura bitters either. I don't know if anyone has yet learned a "stump shanty" which makes it more likely that one may end up with a "stumped " shanty. See you on Sat -- Tom

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 08:16 AM

D*MN I wish I lived closer.

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Brían
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 08:50 AM

I am planning to be in the neighborhood. Hope to be there.

Brían

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Nov 03 - 05:32 PM

Jeri-

I promise not to make a single pun about stumps. In fact I can't I can't even think of one. I mean to say I'm completely...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 08:15 AM

Charley, my only problem with puns is that I always feel a need to retaliate. Most folks in this setting will do likewise. Someone will then throw peanuts[1] and the puns will cease for a while.

Curmudgeon mentioned 'afterbitters'. A lot of these are whiney modern songs, but there are a few older songs, traditional or not. "All the good times are past and gone," and "Where, oh where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I've searched the world over[2] and I thought I found true love. You met another, and PFFFTHT you was gone." Good ol' afterbitters.

I'm not entirely sure I'm gonna be there. I skipped the session last night in the hopes of saving the voice for today, but I have a cold or cold-like disease which is taking an extraordinary amount of time to get rolling and is just plain weird. I'll try to come for a bit, though.


[1]Throwing peanuts was, and may still be done on the internet in a Callahan's Crosstime Saloon newsgroup by typing "8888..."

[2]World-searching can be done by ship, so there's our 'sea music' connection!

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 08:55 AM

Jeri-

Puns by the number with footnotes! This is getting too deep for me, even if we're striving to be nautical.

They do say a mug of good ale can be a splendid restorative for an ailing throat, or was it the other way around?

Barry-

Are you joining us for a round or two?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: curmudgeon
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 09:07 AM

Jeri - Do try to make it today. You missed an Angel free session last night with lots of laid back singing; only Linn, Bruce, Kevin, Carol, Ramona, both Pauls and I.

Besides, your affliction won't go away till after its started.

Barry? Kendall? Sinsull? Others?

-- Tom

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 11:53 AM

I don't know what the hell I've got. I felt like my throat was shredded when I got up this morning (shortly before I posted), but now it only hurts a little and it's mainly just lumpy. The underside of my tongue feels like I've burnt it and I still have the headache.

I don't mind sharing though. I'll be there.

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Barry Finn
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 02:26 PM

Can't make it, sorry. Things around here are insane, maybe when the family's in a calmer state I'll be able to make it. Have a good sing. Barry

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 05:45 PM

I tried. I really did. But family illness, job troubles and a basement flood all conspired against it. Maybe next Friday.
SINS

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 09:22 AM

So - did anyone survive the weekend? How did the Shanty session go?

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 10:07 AM

There wasn't a crowd, but there were enough singers to make for a good session. Tom sounded really good, Nor 'Bruced' a song about oceanic flatulence, Bruce didn't 'Bruce' any songs that I noticed but it's nice when he can sing for the beauty of the song and NOT concentrate on volume. Charley collected gossip & stuff to pass on to Naemanson.

I did 'John Dead', the Georgia Sea Islands version of 'The Titanic' and was gonna quit, but decided to do one last one - Bill Gallaher's 'Newfoundland Sealers' which has got a gazillion verses. My voice held up, but was pretty ragged by the end. The sore throat wasn't a cold but probably some other viral thing or an environmental thing or a who-the-hell-knows-what thing.

Locals Carol, Jean (wee lass, mighty voice), Ramona (of the raven locks and sweet, clear, almost 'mountain-style' singing), Erin (shy but good whistle player), and Steve (??? Tom - right name? Guy who sings with Bruce sometimes?) were there. (I suspect all of them may be lurkers here upon occasion.) Mudcatter Brian made it!

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Brían
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 09:54 PM

Bruce did sound particularly good. His rendition of THE MAY MORNING DEW was a cause for pause. I enjoyed hearing Nor who I haven't heard in a while. He really raises the roof with GENERAL TAYLOR. I liked Charley's song where he stopped off at every port on the was to Sidney. Jeri and Linn's duet was very nice.   I was really glad to get down to sing this week because i am afraid I am starting to come down with a rather nasty cold and I won't be able to sing for a couple of weeks. I was lucky enogh to get across the street to the park to see the lunar eclipse. a little after 8:00 p.m. the moon turned this reddish brown color in the reflection of the Earth's shadow before a silver crescent began lighting up the left-hand side.

Brían

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 10:25 PM

Brían-

My new song was "Rolling down to Sailortown", some version of which you can find on Mudcat. It's still a work in process and we need verses for Bombay and Capetown to complete the trek around the world.

Maybe I'll find some more Sydney verses in Sydney.

Back to packing,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 02:16 AM

What's going on? Everyone is sick back there? I think I'll stay here! At least the illnesses are unique. I've never met so many people with gout and according to All Things Considered it's the eating of fruit bats that is killing off the Chamorros.

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Brían
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 06:34 AM

Well, that's the news from our correspondent in Guam. Man eats bat.

Brían

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: kendall
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 08:07 AM

I'm not doing any singing at all. No voice for it. I have had to cancel NOMAD and the Branford Folk club. I thinl I'll become a hermit.(with nuts)

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Amos
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 09:02 AM

Hermits are mostly with nuts, aren't they?

Bad news,, Skipper. But you aren't dead yet, so fuck 'em.   Pecker up and practice sneering back in front of the mirror.


A

Subject: RE: November Shanty Session at Press Room
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 06:50 PM

Bats should not be eaten!!! (good grief!)

Thanks, Jeri, for reminding me of first words of a coupla verses of "Bay of Biscay" which I started to sing without actually thinking about whether I remembered it all or not. (Another one that doesn't work during the Friday sessions.)

Kevin Scanlon was there, too. I've been sloughing off and haven't listened to the tapes (and they're piling up -- I have tapes of Sunday in Kennebunk as well to listen to and write out the J-cards) and my brain is in my sock drawer, so I can't remember who all was there and what song titles I need. Sigh.

It was a lovely session! There was a lot of new (to the listeners) material -- stuff that hadn't been sung for awhile or can't be effectively done in a louder and more crowded environment.

Linn