http://intheboatshed.net/2012/08/02/...nberg-project/

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20774

The foreword was by prominent Liberal politician and shipping
magnate’s son Sir Walter Runciman – what he has to say is loaded with
sadness at the loss of sail-powered shipping from a 1920s perspective.

"It is sometimes difficult for old sailors like myself to realize that
these fine shanty tunes—so fascinating to the musician, and which no
sailor can hear without emotion—died out with the sailing vessel, and
now belong to a chapter of maritime history that is definitely closed.
They will never more be heard on the face of the waters, but it is
well that they should be preserved with reverent care, as befits a
legacy from the generation of seamen that came to an end with the
stately vessels they manned with such skill and resource."

"In speech, the old-time ”shellback” was notoriously reticent — almost
inarticulate; but in song he found self-expression, and all the
romance and poetry of the sea are breathed into his shanties, where
simple childlike sentimentality alternates with the Rabelaisian humour
of the grown man. Whatever landsmen may think about shanty words —
with their cheerful inconsequence, or light-hearted coarseness — there
can be no two opinions about the tunes, which, as folk-music, are a
national asset."

"I know, of course, that several shanty collections are in the market,
but as a sailor I am bound to say that only one — Capt WBWhall’s ‘Sea
Songs, Ships, and Shanties’ — can be regarded as authoritative. Only a
portion of Capt Whall’s delightful book is devoted to shanties, of
which he prints the melodies only (without accompaniment); and of
these he does not profess to give more than those he himself learnt at
sea. I am glad, therefore, to welcome Messrs Curwen’s project of a
wide and representative collection. Dr Terry’s qualifications as
editor are exceptional, since he was reared in an environment of
nineteenth-century seamen, and is the only landsman I have met who is
able to render shanties as the old seamen did. I am not musician
enough to criticize his pianoforte accompaniments, but I can vouch for
the authenticity of the melodies as he presents them, untampered with
in any way."

Chris,

Many thanks for both of your postings. Terrific stuff.

Best regards,
Bert
--
To those who have served or are serving the cause of freedom, whether in
peace or in war, at home or abroad, thank you. Si vis pacem, para
bellum. "Let's roll!", Todd Beamer, United Airlines Flight 93,
September 11, 2001. http://www.canaltownanvil.org

Nice quote, thanks.
I had this e-book already but in looking again, I see that one can d/l
the zip file that includes all the linked midi files on my own computer
- the main d/l file seems to only link to the ones online.

Thanks again.



On Thu, 2 Aug 2012 08:11:36 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

http://intheboatshed.net/2012/08/02/...nberg-project/

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20774

The foreword was by prominent Liberal politician and shipping
magnate’s son Sir Walter Runciman – what he has to say is loaded with
sadness at the loss of sail-powered shipping from a 1920s perspective.

"It is sometimes difficult for old sailors like myself to realize that
these fine shanty tunes—so fascinating to the musician, and which no
sailor can hear without emotion—died out with the sailing vessel, and
now belong to a chapter of maritime history that is definitely closed.
They will never more be heard on the face of the waters, but it is
well that they should be preserved with reverent care, as befits a
legacy from the generation of seamen that came to an end with the
stately vessels they manned with such skill and resource."

"In speech, the old-time ”shellback” was notoriously reticent — almost
inarticulate; but in song he found self-expression, and all the
romance and poetry of the sea are breathed into his shanties, where
simple childlike sentimentality alternates with the Rabelaisian humour
of the grown man. Whatever landsmen may think about shanty words —
with their cheerful inconsequence, or light-hearted coarseness — there
can be no two opinions about the tunes, which, as folk-music, are a
national asset."

"I know, of course, that several shanty collections are in the market,
but as a sailor I am bound to say that only one — Capt WBWhall’s ‘Sea
Songs, Ships, and Shanties’ — can be regarded as authoritative. Only a
portion of Capt Whall’s delightful book is devoted to shanties, of
which he prints the melodies only (without accompaniment); and of
these he does not profess to give more than those he himself learnt at
sea. I am glad, therefore, to welcome Messrs Curwen’s project of a
wide and representative collection. Dr Terry’s qualifications as
editor are exceptional, since he was reared in an environment of
nineteenth-century seamen, and is the only landsman I have met who is
able to render shanties as the old seamen did. I am not musician
enough to criticize his pianoforte accompaniments, but I can vouch for
the authenticity of the melodies as he presents them, untampered with
in any way."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
I am Abby Sale - in Raleigh, North Carolina

Skate free or die!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

wrote:

"It is sometimes difficult for old sailors like myself to realize that
these fine shanty tunes—so fascinating to the musician, and which no
sailor can hear without emotion—died out with the sailing vessel, and
now belong to a chapter of maritime history that is definitely closed."

There is a lovely hovercraft shanty ("From Dover to Calais") on Finest
Kind's "For Honour and for Gain")

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Honour-Gain-...4007712&sr=1-1

Paul Magnussen