Sea Shanties

The Boarding Party: 'Tis Our Sailing Time

Bristol Channel Jamboree Haul Awa' Otho's Song The Alabama The Cruiser Baltimore The Hogeye Man Solid Fas' The Seaman's Hymn & Eternal Father Come Down, You Roses Dead Horse Johnson Girls Truxton's Victory The Sailor's Alphabet The Shanghaied Dredger Shallow Brown The Farewell Shanty

A motley crew brings us this collection of sea shanties and ballads, "motley" meaning "of many colors," which describes both the group and their songs. They are Tom McHenry, K.C. King, Bob Hitchcock, Jonathan Eberhart and Dave Diamond, who share a love of singing and the sea. There is a strong folk feeling to this CD, as most sea shanties are working songs, and there's the occasional light guitar or banjo accompaniment. Some of our favorites are: "The Alabama," "The Seaman’s Hymn & Eternal Father," "Dead Horse," "Truxton’s Victory," "The Sailor’s Alphabet," and "Shallow Brown." Well-researched, authentic songs of the sea, vibrantly performed.

The Boarding Party: Too Far From The Shore

Ten Stone Heave 'er Up and Bust 'er Tanqueray Martini-o Goodbye Old Ship of Mine Song for the Challenger's Crew Rosie Sheep on the Deep Drifting Too Far From Shore The Ward Line Atlantic Cable Line Down The C and O 100 Years on the Eastern Shore Oray Sujon Naiya Rolling Down to Old Maui Solar Privateer Farewell to Grog Last Cigar

It’s been too many years, but now one of our favorite group of singers/scholars/rowdies has rewarded our patience with another collection of water-songs. And a collection of great variety, too: favorite old chanteys, nautical gospel songs, a couple of original songs, a cable-laying song, a Bengali rowing song, songs from the rivers, lakes and canals, as well as the oceans, high and low. Some are tongue-in-cheek, some just good roaring fun, but most ring with the great dignity of sincerity., Some of these songs would have died in the archives had not Bob and Jonathan made new tunes for them, and many would be lost to us forever without the work and interest of these men. They’re scholars and historians, and their big robust voices lift these songs into our present very well.

Johnson Girls: On The Rocks

Round the Corn Noah Bult the Ark Dixie Land Song for a Seafarer A Wife in Every Port Married a Trawlerman Drink to the Laddies Roll, Boys, Roll Vole Mon Coeur, Vole The Priest and the Nuns Fire Maringo Tailor in the Tea Chest O, Pescator Dell'onda Working at the Colface Gaol Song Mike White Wings Pique laBalcine Mariner's Hymn

The New York City-based Johnson Girls are five talented women who sing authentic, a cappella sea chanteys and maritime songs. Lead-singing leads are shared fairly evenly among the five, who particularly enjoy singing this very blue-collar music live, encouraging audience participation. 19 authentic, spirited tunes, some favorites: "Round the Corn," "Dixie Land," "A Wife in Every Port," "Married to a Trawlerman," "Drink to the Laddies," "Fire Maringo," "Tailor in the Tea Chest," "Working at the Coalface," "Gaol Song," "Mike," "White Wings" and "Mariner's Hymn." These are powerful songs of love, betrayal and heartbreak, of hard work and trouble, rhythmic songs to sing while rowing a ship's boat, raising the anchor, or hauling a canvas sail up to the yardarm. Nicely done liner notes with interesting info about each of the songs. We noticed that the Johnson Girls are all brunettes, and on the cover of "On the Rocks" sit 5 brunette mermaids with their backs to us, singing out to a passing clipper ship, but this is almost certainly a coincidence!

Johnson Girls: Sea Shanties and Maritime Music

Round Cape Horn Blackbird Get Up Sailor's Way Running Down to Cuba Essequibo River Bear Away Yankee, Bear away Boy Fisherman's Lassie Walk Along Sally Brown Come Love Come Huckleberry Hunting London Julie Drummer and the Cook Weary Cutters Fire Down Below Yankee Man O' War Jump, Isabel, Slide Water Pump Shanty Fisherman's Wife Won't You Help Me To Raise 'Em Goodby, Fare You Well

The five talented Johnson Girls love singing folk tunes together, but let us be more specificÑthey love singing authentic a cappella sea chanteys and maritime music. They are a refreshing incongruous part of a traditionally male community of singers who come together at festivals and gatherings to sing the old songs. 20 tunes, some of our favorites: "Round Cape Horn," "Sailor's Way," "Essequibo River," "Fisherman's Lassie," "Come Love Come," the fairly racy "Huckleberry Hunting," "Drummer and the Cook," "Yankee Man o' War," "Jump, Isabel, Slide Water" (a rowing song written by slaves before the Civil War), "Pump Shanty," "Fisherman's Wife" and "Goodbye, Fare You Well." These are heart-tugging songs of the life of the sailor, songs that made his labor seem easier, and helped to ease his loneliness or a broken heart. The Johnson Girls sing them with conviction, spirit and deep feeling, making us believe that they are the sailor in question, or that he is their lover, son or husband. An impressive, focused first recording by New York City's talented folk quintet! Liner notes have comments and info on all the songs.

Men Of The Robert Shaw Chorale: Sea Shanties

Blow the Man Down Bound for the Rio Grande Lowlands Whup! Jamboree Tom's Gone to Hilo A-Roving Good-bye, Fare Ye Well What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor The Shaver Stormalong, John Swansea Town Haul Away, Joe Shenandoah Santy Anna The Drummer and the Cook Spanish Ladies

Recorded in 1960, under the direction of one of the foremost conductors of the modern age - Shaw's resume includes collaborations with Arturo Toscanini - "Sea Shanties" is not merely a period piece. The 16 shanties, arranged by Robert Shaw and his frequent associate, Alice Parker, are stirring and invigorating, as was indeed their purpose, as many of them supplied the rhythmic accompaniment for hard manual labor. Slower tasks required a commensurate meter: "Shenandoah" and "Lowlands" are typical examples. Finally, in their down time, sailors would sing for entertainment, often recalling exotic ports-of-call, and romanticizing their adventures ("Swansea Town," "Santy Anna"). Four songs have acoustic guitar.

US Navy Sea Chanters: Songs of Sailor and Sea

From Boston Harbor You Gentlemen of England Homeward The Old Navy Sacramento Arethusa Blow the Wind Wester Waternight Dark Eyed Sailor The Springtime of the Year Just as the Tide as was Flowing The Lover's Ghost I'm Seventeen Come Sunday The Road Not Taken A Prayer for the Fleet

The Sea Chanters is a 17 voice chorus of the United States Navy Band who perform a wide variety of choral music from classical to Broadway musicals. Part of their repertoire which is often requested are sea chanties and songs of the sea. Originally they were organized in 1956 as an all male chorus. Female voices were added in 1980. Under the direction of Master Chief Musician Chuck Yates, the Sea Chanties perform throughout the United States. When they are in Washington they often perform at the White House and for endless notable special events, performing with the National Symphony Orchestra, at President Nixon's funeral, at Carnegie Hall, aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston Harbor, and at the 4th of July Celebrations at the Washington Monument, to name a few venues. The recording begins with a traditional sound as we are presented with the well known chanty, "From Boston Harbor." Then there are six songs with piano accompaniment from the collection of nautical themes by Eric H. Thiman. "Waternight" was written by Eric Whitacre for the Dale Warland Singers using text from Octavio Paz. You will be serenaded by four of the five "English Folk Songs" arranged by R. Vaughn Williams, a Percy Grainger arrangement, songs based on the work of Robert Frost, and finally "A Prayer for the Fleet" which was written the 40th anniversary performance of the Sea Chanties. This selection of music is as beautifully sung. Go Navy!

Norman Luboff Choir: Songs of the South / Songs of the Sea

My Old Kentucky Home I Must Walk That Lonesome Valley Sweet Lorena Salangadou Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen Kemo Kimo Deep River Carry Me Back to Old Virginny Tender Love Down in the Valley Swing Low Sweet Chariot The Ballad of the Boll Weevil Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair Un Deux Trois Dixie Homeward Bound One More Day Shenandoah Rio Grande Rollin' Home Blow the Man Down Goodbye, My Lover A-Roving Lowlands Clear the Track The Dark-Eyed Sailor The Boston Come All Ye Goodbye, Fare Ye Well Eternal Father

Two great LPs on one CD, Norman Luboff's "Songs of the South" and "Songs of the Sea," both issued in 1956, bring us the NLC in their popular prime. All songs feature the patented Luboff satin-smooth arrangements and rich harmonies, and this one has lots of great a cappella on it! "My Old Kentucky Home," "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen," "Deep River," Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Dixie" and "Eternal Father" are all sans accompaniment, and the lovely "Shenandoah" and "Lowlands" are only minimally accompanied. These tunes clearly show that the NLC was one of the best a cappella bands of any era. A total of 29 nostalgic winners--just listen to "I Must Walk That Lonesome Valley," "Un Deux Trois," "The Ballad of the Boll Weevil," "Homeward Bound," "A Roving"--these songs were passed on from generation to generation because people loved them and sang them a lot, not because they got a lot of radio play. A tremendous value and recommended!

Listen to My Old Kentucky Home in Real Audio.

Various Arrangers: Sea Chanties

Blue Whale Fish, Fish, Fish, Fish Slugs All For Me Grog (arr. Stephen Hatfield) The Drunken Sailor (arr. Robert Sund) SATB

Add a breath of salty sea air to your repertoire with one of these traditional sea chanties. Lots of fun to sing and with performance notes. Originally from England, where "All for Me Grog" was heard in music halls as well as on ships, the shanty was sung while working the capstan and the halyard. Swedish composer and conductor, Robert Sund wrote this playful arrangement of "What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?" leaving ample room for both women and men to excel in this well-known sea chantey. The tongue-twisting text brings this arrangement to an impressive ending!

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