The wind howled, the spray flew, elderly mariners swore they'd never seen the like of it. And this was just on dry land at Saturday's International Sea Shanty Festival.
Hull's waterfront, once famed for its trawler fleets and foul-mouthed fishwives, but now ritzily re-developed into a marina and leisure complex, resounded to hearty, baritone choruses of 'Hey, Ho, and up She Rises.'
The crowd rose, alright, but only to flee for shelter in nearby pubs, as yet another black-edged squall barrelled in from the North Sea. At least the shanty folk understood their responsibilities. They had come from all over Europe to show that the sea songs that had survived all the challenges a changing world could throw at them, could also survive a soaking from the English summer.
Click the link to see how the festival turned out, and for a primer on this old sailor's art.
So sad about the weather... I love sea shanties.
ReplyDeleteI live in New Bedford, Ma USA the Whaling Capital of the world at one time. I have collected sea shanties for many years. I have put hundreds of pages of lyrics on this website.
http://www.sailorsongs.com
it is very popular and there are chords for some songs.
I like the drawn cutlass... "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" is on the website if you are interested.