Tag: shanty

Songs from the Birdcage

by Lucy Simister, posted in Blog

As you may know from previous posts we play a lot of songs of the sea and shanties and similar nautical and marine related pieces on guitar, fiddle, mandolin and bodhran so it is really welcome to get any feedback from our audiences.

So – as you might imagine – I’m absolutely thrilled to say that we received the following testimonial from the organisers of the Pirates in the Port festival in Newport Gwent.

“An excellent duo with brilliant and varied musicianship. Charismatic, energetic and original they harmonise very well and really got the audience going. Highly recommended. Bois Y Bryn”.

We had a fantastic time over in Newport and if anyone reading our page lives near enough to Newport South Wales and sees an opportunity to listen to Bois y Brin Shanty crew – just go and do it – you won’t be disappointed. They are accomplished and entertaining! Check out their facebook page here!

On other ship and shanty related matters we will be playing at the Birdcage in Brixham for an afternoon of shanties and songs of the seas organised by Andy from the local and highly respected shanty crew Missin’ Tackle – there will be several of us performing but as yet I am waiting for confirmation who will be there – as I know I will post it on Facebook and on the website here.

And the Venue for this illustrious concert will be …

The Birdcage. Hence the title of the post. See what I did there?

SO here’s a link to the Birdcage pub in Brixham – which is a great little venue. I performed there in another shanty crew, the always entertaining The Marldon Wonky Donkeys -back in May and really love the atmosphere there – if your near come and say hello!

Pirates in the Port!

by Lucy Simister, posted in Blog

I don’t exactly know what it is about pirates that has attracted the attention of such and adoring public. But I for one am glad – it gives Lucy and I the opportunity to dig out our bad rags (that’s like glad rags only more piratical) and get out there and play some music!

We will be a-setting sail once more for lovely Newport in Wales for there annual Pirates in the Port shanty festival next weekend (31st May – 1st June 2025). We will be performing a selection of songs of the sea and shanties on Saturday 31st at the Mercure Hotel at 12.00 hrs and then again at McCanns Rock N Ale Bar at 14.00 hrs – and we’re really looking forward to it.

I am currently working on two more tracks to upload to our Shanty Project Channel.

One is called Steam and Sail and is sung from the perspective of old sailors witnessing the decline of the sailing ships as steam ships began to become more more popular and more reliable. In a final cruel irony sailing ships were retained to carry coal around the ports of the world to fuel the steamships.

And the other track I am working on is about a hapless chappie considering work on a pirate vessel. It is called the Jobseeker’s Hornpipe – and as you might have guessed it’s a funny song.

Here is a snippet of the lyrics:

“Though not usually proactive, I arranged to see the rep,

on consideration thought it would be wiser –

To wait until I’d got the job before I told the wife

Then carefully choose my moment to surprise her”

Ill post more when they are ready for upload

Heave ho! Me lads

The sailing ships ran by the concerted effort of the sailors on board.

It’s a fantastic art form, the sea shanty. You probably don’t need me to tell you that sea shanties are work songs from the sailing ship days where it was man power that kept the ships at sea – human energy – not steam and diesel, nor electric motors raised the anchors and the sails. And these men had to work together. Sea shanties – lead by the shanty man ensured that these tough fellas worked together – to breast the capstan bars or heave on sheets and lines. If they did not work together sailing ships would not have been feasible.

Sometimes shanties were sung to bewail the hard life of a seaman, sometimes to express how they missed home comforts and there loved ones, sometimes shanties sang about hopes for better weather. For me the common thread is that they were very much sung from the hearts and souls of the men singing them.

Hope to see you somewhere soon!

Take care

Tony