October 9, 2016 By Diane Kemp

Ray’s chat number 12

RAY’S CHAT
Hi Folks ..

Here we are with
RAYS CHAT NUMBER TWELVE.

Autumn now well and truly with us: I was tempted to say Winter Draws on!!
But you’ve all heard it before. So let’s just get on with SONGS OF THE SEA. And yes we have plenty to choose from. Oh so many.

As a Sea Faring Nation, Sea Songs were always part of our heritage:
Especially the Working Songs from the days of the old Sailing Ships. The HEAVE HO MY HEARTIES sort of song which were sung by the sailors to keep a rhythm; all pull together lads!!.

And of course Fishing boats have always been going out to catch our sea food: SO YES there are Fishing boat songs.

And songs about people MOVING away by ships. Criminals to Australia. THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY. Is a great example of this kind of song. Paddy Reilly sings a superb version of this. Put in:
PADDY REILLY –THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY 4.36

So we have many Sea songs in our heritage. Sailing Ships were of course the only way to get from here to there; and Those Sails on the old Sailing Ships were VERY heavy: and if they were WET: WOW They needed a lot of handling and ALL HANDS had to pull together to be able to manage the sails.
So the rhythm of the Sea Shanty was the way of achieving this. And it also gave the lads a great song to sing.
Typical of the working song is:
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
by THE CLANCY BROTHER & TOMMY MAKEM 2.02

YES: The Work song, or Shanty, was an ESSENTIAL tool to Sailing Ships. Many of these Working Songs, were unaccompanied, as every man was needed on the lines;
So to get the rhythm, of every man pulling together:
The men Sang as they hauled;
This one is an example.
HAUL AWAY JOE
THE CLANCY BROTHERS WITH LOUIS KILLEN 2.02

Maybe you’ve not been familiar with those songs:?
But: We all know at least one Sea Song.
I wonder how many times you have sung “What shall we do with a Drunken Sailor”.??
Well here is how it should sound

WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR Irish Rovers) 2.40 Yes they do it well

But remember a sailing ship was always at the whim of Mother Nature; and sometimes a ship could be-calmed.. Just no way of moving without the wind in the sails: So they could be away for weeks, months even, and those lads just had to make their own entertainment
So Sea Songs were not only the way of working together BUT were also their one way of making entertainment; a concertina, and maybe pipes would be the accompaniment to many a song. Typical of the sort is:

ALL FOR ME GROG 3.39

If you go to YouTube there are some GREAT Sea Shanties there;
A couple I think you will enjoy are:

SEA SHANTY – WORST OLD SHIP.
This is sung by Bob Roberts who has a fine Sea Shanty sort of voice.
And the other I like is:
LEAVE HER JOHNNY LEAVE HER,
Sung by Johnny Collins

These are both typical of the sort of songs that were sung on board the sailing ships.
And there are lots more for you to trawl through if you like this sort of singing. Yes go on have a trawl through.
YES there so many to choose from.. Enjoy your Trawl.

Remember for many young lads THE SEA was their only hope of employment; especially if they lived in a harbour town. So you were a Fisherman, or you were a Sailor.

One fine song, telling the story of a young lad leaving home to work on a sailing ship (a very tough life indeed).
This song is maybe the best known of all the sea songs.
It has been sung by many fine singers.
It is THE LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL. Most singers tend to take it FAST.. and YES it is a GREAT: Superb Club participation song.
Folk audiences love it and sing their hearts out.. Yes GREAT song.
But listen to it sung much slower.. it becomes a different song
As sung by the Clancy Brothers.

Oh I know I have used them already: You might say,
Why not use some English Singers????..
Well the Clancys were part of the American Folk revival scene; probably the First Irish group on the scene.
And WELL JUST LISTEN; For a perfectly produced version
you have a real job to beat this:
YES THIS IS MY FAVOURITE.
THE CLANCY BROTHERS THE LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL 5.03

I hope you have enjoyed the Sea Songs. And hope you have heard some Singers and Songs that are NEW to you.

Well hearing these Great Irish voices
Makes me thing YES lets go IRISH next time.

Nice chatting to You
Ray