“On Board a Man o’ War” – Nelson’s Victory & Death at the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805

On Trafalgar Day, the anniversary of Admiral Horatio Nelson‘s victory and death at the Battle of Trafalgar, a ballad describing the battle, “On board a Man o’ War,” sung by Ian Page. Feel free to grab a mug of porter, … Continue reading

Sting’s The Last Ship — A Musical of Love and Loss in a Tyneside Shipyard

Just over a year ago, I was surprised — shocked might be a better word — to hear of a play about a shipyard. The Boat Factory was set in Harland & Wolff of Belfast, the shipyardyard that built theTitanic as well as roughly 1,700 … Continue reading

Hardtackers’ Don’t Forget Your Old Shipmates – A Review

The Hardtacker Shanty Crew, a seven-man shanty crew based in Columbus, Ohio, released a great new CD a few months ago, Don’t Forget Your Old Shipmates, which features a wonderful mix of shanties and sea songs, old and new.  The twenty one songs … Continue reading

Trevor Grills of the Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends, Dies at 54

Trevor Grill was a self employed builder from Port Isaac on Cornwall’s rugged north coast, who enjoyed getting together with friends to sing sea shanties and folk songs.  The group came to call themselves the Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends and they performed at … Continue reading

Sea Songs in New York – Sailing to Staten Island: The Immigrant Experience, and Other Events

This will be a great couple of weeks around New York harbor for lovers of the music of the sea.  “Sailing to Staten Island: The Immigrant Experience” is a free concert Saturday night at the Noble Maritime Collection at Snug … Continue reading

For the Love of Sea Music – Mystic Seaport’s 33rd Annual Sea Music Festival

Mystic Seaport has put together a wonderful short video where lovers of sea music speak of just it means to them, just in time for the Seaport’s upcoming 33rd Annual Sea Music Festival from June 7-10, 2012 in Mystic, Connecticut.  The three … Continue reading

Shanty Sings All Over – Mystic, New York, San Francisco, Port Townsend & Washington DC

This Saturday night, January7th, the Mystic Seaport will be hosting a “Chantey Blast and Pub Sing” from 1-5 PM in the Frohsinn Hall (aka the German Club), 54 Greenmanville Avenue, in Mystic CT as a fundraiser for the 33rd Annual Mystic Seaport Sea … Continue reading

The William Main Doerflinger Memorial Sea Shanty Session – September 18th, 2011

Fifteen years ago, a group of sea shanty enthusiasts got together for an old fashioned shanty sing. Their first meeting was, fittingly enough on the windjammer Peking at South Street Seaport. For many years they met monthly at the Seaman’s Church … Continue reading

Ranzo, the YouTube Chanteyman

On his YouTube channel, Hulton Clint identifies himself as “Ranzo, the YouTube Chanteyman.”  Something over  three years ago he began an ambitious You Tube undertaking : The “Shanties From the Seven Seas” project where he sings the chanteys from Stan Hugill’s classic book of … Continue reading

Jubilee Sailing Trust – Tall Ship Sailing Adventures for All

A very nicely done video showing the inspiring work being done the Jubilee Sailing Trust.  The Jubilee Sailing Trust  is a registered charity that owns and operates the tallships Lord Nelson and Tenacious, the only two tall ships in the world designed and … Continue reading