AoS Playlist 1: English sailors, American navyboys and gay pirates (again)

[anteros_lmc]

And now for something completely different! venusinfurs90 and I have been exchanging Age of Sail related music for a while now and thought it would be fun to share some of it with you guys :)

Some of these songs are contemporary with the period, others are more modern but in the spirit of the tradition. All the songs here are in the English folk tradition (and we're talking proper hand-knitted finger-in-the-ear folk music here ;) so I haven't included any of the wonderful classical music including Britten's Peter Grimes and Billy Budd and Mendelssohn's Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, but don't let that stop you from listening to them! The songs I've chosen aren't supposed to be "representative" of anything in particular, they just happen to be songs I'm very fond of. However you'll notice one or two obvious omissions, most notably Hearts of Oak. I'm sorry but I just can't find a version online that doesn't make me cringe :(

Canadee-I-O, Nic Jones, Penguin Eggs
My favourite of all the many cross-dressing-lassie-running-away-to-sea songs. And what's more, said lassie promptly forgets her sweetheart and takes up with the captain instead!

Barrack Street, Nic Jones, Penguin Eggs
Nic Jones again on the perils of shoreleave.

Just As The Tide Was Flowing, Eliza Carthy, Anglicana.
This time it's the perils of falling for a handsome sailor. Not that I'd know anything about that.... ;)

The Bold Privateer, Eliza Carthy, Anglicana.
This is just a beautiful song that really needs no introduction.

Rolling Sea, Eliza Carthy, Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads and Sea Chantys
I've heard many sweet versions of Sailor Laddie, which is essentially the same song, but I adore this down right filthy sounding version by Eliza Carthy again.

Haul On The Bowline, Bob Neuwirth, Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads and Sea Chantys
Yes, yes, I know singing chanteys was not allowed on Royal Navy ships. However this short-drag chantey is thought to be one of the oldest surviving chanteys and may date as far back as the early 16th century though there is no direct evidence of this. This chantey was commonly used right up until the end of the days of sail and this is a cracking modern version.

King George The Third's Minuet / Valentine's Day, John Kirkpatrick, Make No Bones
Another anachronism here. The English concertina wasn't invented until 1829 but how can you not associate it with sailor boys? And anyway, I love concertina music so there! - sorry link no longer available

Nelson's Death And Victory, John Kirkpatrick, Make No Bones
One of the myriad songs commemorating the life and death of Admiral Lord Nelson. - sorry link no longer available

On Board a 98, Damien Barber, Mike Wilson, Under the Influence
An original broadside ballad dating to the early 19th century if not before. This song was one of many collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

We Have Fed Our Seas, David Jones, From England's Shore
I hadn't actually heard this intensely moving setting of Kipling until nodbear passed it on to kittycallum for her beautiful vid. If you haven't seen this already, and even if you have, you might want to fetch a hanky before watching...

Gay Pirates, Cosmo Jarvis.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, and just in case you missed it first time round, it's the Gay Pirates again! Not remotely authentic but you're got to love them :) nodbear has noted that this songs scans just as well if you substitute "Horatio" for "Sebastian" ;)

And finally, last but not least, real Navyboys and possibly one of the campest cutest things you'll ever see on youtube... allow me to present...the United States Naval Academy Men's Glee Club (!!) singing Spanish Ladies. I feel sure Captain Sawyer would approve!

Cross posted to following_sea and anything_aos

Comments

[esteven]

I started to seriously thank you for those links, but then I hit the Youtube button and nearly sprayed my tea all over the monitor. What would Jack Aubrey think!

They have wonderful voices, and the arrangement is sublime, but...how I roared. Thank you.

How will I find the link on Youtube so I can bookmark it.

*glees*

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Hahahahahaha! It's it just priceless? Every time I listen to it I just dissolve into fits of giggles XD I can't even begin to imagine what Jack would think!

Here's the youtube link and you can also get to it by clicking the youtube icon in the bottom left of the embedded frame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rC6BaAQUJ4

Do I owe you for a new monitor? ;)

[esteven]

Thank you.

Thanks for the offer, but I cannot tell a lie. My monitor is still sound because I reacted fast and sprayed sideways. ;D

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

My monitor is still sound because I reacted fast and sprayed sideways. ;D
What a professional!

[esteven]

I could have been Bodie...or Doyle?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

*groan* :D

[esteven]

You can tell that Jack Aubrey's my favourite?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I would never have guessed... ;)

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Funny because they are not 'British Sailors?'
I have versions of the song which reference whaling, and Cape Cod and New Bedford.

It mentions seeing Gay Head, which is on the Vineyard, and so all this is home for me.

But I love the British Sailor version too, because of Jack, and Stephen, and Horatio and Archie, and all.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

The origins of Spanish Ladies are certainly debatable, I've seen it credited to Irish sailors, English navyboys, and American whalers. Like all good folk songs, it has a life of it's own and has evolved to suit it's singers. I'd really like to hear the whaling version :)

I was immensely pleased to find real singing Navyboys!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

I really like "The Bold Privateer", I think that woman has a beautiful voice, and it's so bittersweet.
But yeah, the Spanish Ladies sung by a choir like this… *rofl* What were they thinking!?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Eliza Carthy's parents are both very famous folk singers and traditional music collectors. The whole Anglicana album is beautiful, I was hard pushed to choose just two tracks. I can highly recommend it if you want to treat yourself. But yes, the American Navyboys are quite something aren't they?! Not quite sure what... ;)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Wine -> keyboard! Well y'know, there are ladies and ladies ;P ETA But bless, aren't they all just wonderful :)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Bless their little white cotton socks! Hope you enjoy the rest of the links too. I rather fear that the US Navyboys Glee Club have torpedoed the rest of my carefully constructed playlist ;)

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these - there are some really good other ones on the from England's shores album too
will investigate them - and any excuse to sing Yo ho Sebastian is a good excuse !

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I've listened to the other tracks and it is indeed an excellent cd, though I think We Have Fed Our Seas is the stand out track.

any excuse to sing Yo ho Sebastian is a good excuse !
Admit it, you'll be singing "Yo ho Horatio" ;)

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

Sitting up in bed here reading George Cadogan defending himself and despite how gripping it is getting sleepy.Time to douse candle ( ie shut down laptop) and the like

yes we have fed our seas is amazing - though the one that makes me weep is the modern one about the training camp and the - again unseen young men - buried in the Normandy orchards. "So many young men all learning to die"

But its not really a sad note entirely - not with Yo ho Horatio as a option ..* sings creakily and signs off *
night !

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Poor George. It's hard to know what to say really. I don't remember the modern song from the cd, I must listen to it again. I flicked through the tracks rather quickly. But yes Yo Ho Horatio is much more appropriate to sign off with...

I'm still trying to finish that damn fic here but am awfully sleepy too *yawn* N'night.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Little white cotton socks...hee, snort.

The more I learn about 'true British sailors' the more I think the US Navy lacks original thinkers. I love my navy, but your guys invented everything from the music, to names of things, to the...white cotton socks!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, but the Royal Navy didn't invent Glee Clubs did they?! Can you imagine it? The Indefatigable Glee Club with Mr Midshipman Hornblower on triangle coz he can't sing ;)

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Picturing him with serious Naval expression, and going 'Ding'!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Ding!

*dies laughing*

[shezzawatto.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful collection! It's really enhanced a slow Saturday arvo here. Enjoyed Nic Jones immensely.
As for the Glee Club Spanish Ladies (just realised how that reads but will leave it as is)gee I chuckled! It wasn't even the tune I'm used to.
Just as an aside, Australia was originally being populated by the convicts and their accompanying minders etc, from about 1788 right into the mid- late 19th century, so our early colonial development took place in parallel with the Napoleonic Wars and the AOS. Hence a lot of our early folk music reflects that era, including the sea songs. But they've been further adapted to the particular characteristics of our land, so we have an Aussie version of Spanish Ladies being land based and a droving song.
"Farewell and adieu to you Brisbane ladies ...." and the chorus
"We'll rant and we'll roar like true Queensland drovers
We'll rant and we'll roar as onward we push.
Until we return to the Augathella Station,
For it's flamin' hard going through the old Queensland bush"

BTW a "station" is a large grazing / agricultural property - often tens or even hundreds of square miles in size. "Bush" refers to the wild country not yet invaded by whitefellas.

Back to the original topic, though - an inspired and inspirational choice. Thank you.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed the playlist. I can highly recommend the rest of Nic Jones album Penguin Eggs, it's wonderful. Sadly Jones' music career was ended by a serious car crash in 1982. He survived but was unable to play professionally again.

I love the Queensland version of Spanish Ladies! I haven't heard that one before but isn't it wonderful the way folk songs develop? And of course here are many very moving folks songs about transportation from this period, I'll see if I can find one for my next playlist.

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! I'm adding this to favourites so i can digest at leisure.

Yo Ho Horatio!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Hope you enjoy them! Plenty more where these came from :)

Yo Ho Horatio!
Lets go far away,
Somewhere that the captain won't be mad...

[rum-inspector.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you for sharing these!

"For if the sailors prove false to you, well the captain he might prove true"
hee that's a verse to embroider and frame as those pictures you see in old houses... a bit sassier than "there's no place like home" etc. :)

Though Kate Bush's version of Handsome cabin boy is my favorite still.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! I'll be posting some more next week hopefully.

hee that's a verse to embroider and frame as those pictures you see in old houses
A cross stitch sampler! What a brilliant idea :) Decorated with whales, boats, anchors and little blue birds I think.

Though Kate Bush's version of Handsome cabin boy is my favorite still.
Ooh I've not hear that, but I love Kate Bush, I'm off to find it right now.

[venusinfurs90.livejournal.com]

:D!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yay! :)

[littlewings04.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for posting the Glee Club link! (Here via despatches, btw.) Having sang with the Mids a few times, they sort of eat up the campy sailing songs with a spoon because they're bloody ridiculous. You should hear them sing the soprano arias in Handel's Messiah during dress rehearsals. Lol-tastic.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Having sang with the Mids
Wait, are you telling me you've sung with these guys?! If so I am in awe! They're just brilliant :D

You should hear them sing the soprano arias in Handel's Messiah during dress rehearsals.
I would sell my granny to hear that!!

Thanks for commenting and glad you enjoyed :)

[littlewings04.livejournal.com]

Yup! At my master's degree institution, the Men's and Women's Glee Clubs would sing with the college choir to do the Messiah. I have fond, fond memories of the lads breaking out the falsetto for "Suddenly, there was with the angel" in dress rehearsal. It was hilarious, and made the whole experience. Lovely folks, all of them. Those were good days.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yup!
Respect!

I have fond, fond memories of the lads breaking out the falsetto for "Suddenly, there was with the angel" in dress rehearsal.

I'll bet you do! What an amazing experience that must have been. Thanks for sharing it. :)

PS Love your icon btw.