 |
|
|
|
| |
Some periods
of work on board are very strenuous. The use of
singing brings both the tempo to strike the rythm
of the manoeuvring which gains in efficiency and
the melody which makes sailors forget about their
strenuous life. |
| The
tasks can be very different according to the kind
of ship hence the variety of shanties: shanties
for hoisting the sails, hoisting home, heaving at
the capstan, pumping, heaving at the windlass, hoisting
hand on hand, racing, clearing the "runs",
rowing |
 |
| |
Before leaving, the
captain of the ship must choose the singer on board
with care, for a great deal of efficiency of the
manoeuvre depends on him. He is the one who leads
the singing, imposes the rythm, stimulates and channels
the sailors' energy. |
| |
When they
have finished their watch, sailors enjoy gathering
on the forecastle. It's time for a rest and the
place is favourable to entertainments of all kinds:
Stories, games, singing, dancing. Expression is
free, so is the subject of the songs : It goes from
the resentiment towards the commander to
erotic plans for the next port... Good musicians
and singers are much appreciated on the premices. |
|
Once back ashore, sailors go back
to their terrestrial habits, to their homes environment
and to the atmosphere of port taverns. That's
where we find a different repertoire, most varied
and subject of numerous influences which are usually
classified as sea songs..
It rangs from the sea ballads which often tell
about catastrophes to the nursery rhymes of children
playing ashore, together with religious hymns,
songs for leading the dance, for hauling and many
others sung by the girls who work in the fish-canneries;
not to mention the melodies chanted in the pubs
on the warf.
|
| |
This short
chronicle on sea songs couldn't possibly completed
without paying a tribute to the last shantyman who
died in 1992, leaving us a huge heritage. Stan Hugill
was an adventurer, a painter, a poet and a writer,
one of those ( and probably the first) thanks to
whom we now have access to an incredibly rich repertoire |
|
 |
|
|
Ronan
et son IDEFIX
he is 32 years old and he decided to leave
his confortable life to sail around the
world...have a look to his site and support
him...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
