GAoP Period Correct Working Songs

[Johnathan Atwood]

I am looking for a few period correct working songs that can be cited. I know there are a few great sources for songs, such as Henry Playford's "Wit and Mirth", but does anyone have some GAoP sources for ones used to work the vessels?

Many thanks!

[William Brand]

That's the challenge. Citations. We find a lot of songs that are 'traditionally' old, but with few citations. HEre's a threads from the Shanties subforum that discusses working or 'rowing' shanties.

https://pyracy.com/index.php/topic/18793-rowing-shanties/

[William Brand]

When looking for working songs, be sure to search using various terms, such as Shanty, Chanty, Hauling Chant, Work Chant, Sea Chant, Work Song, etc. The spelling and etymology of the word Shanty is fairly young, historically speaking, so finding citations is made even more difficult.

[Johnathan Atwood]

William, that is a great thread. Thank you. I am pasting the link that you had shared on it so that it may be found more easily by others: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k59621&pageid=icb.page253584 .

With that said, anyone else know any other great sources? (oddly enough the pirate re-enactor is greedy)

[William Brand]

We run into all sorts of issues with period songs. First, they're often published without any sheet music. Two, while they may talk about 'Sailors' or the 'Sea' this might be only coincidental. Lot's of 'tavern songs' talk about the sea and sailors, but may be land odes to the sea, not working songs, and without notes from the authors themselves, we can't know. For example, there's a book called 'The Lark' which contains a "Collection: Of Above Four Hundred and Seventy Celebrated English and Scotch Songs". It has no music and no notes about tunes. It doesn't cite the origin of the songs or explain their context. It's just 470+ songs. Now one of them is bound to be from the Sailing community, but only by speculation.

Here's one from 'A Collection of the Most Celebrated Songs In Four Volumes, Vol. 4' published in 1732.

The Jolly Sailor

Haul, haul away, haul away,

Let your anchors be weighing,


Haul, haul away, and be steering.

Ere the wind shall be veering;
Time and tide will admit no delaying. 
j
Abroad with your flags, your streamers display,

While the full swelling sea shall befriend ye:
Not a storm by the sea, nor a rock by the way,

Not a storm nor a rock mail offend ye,
Whilst we fathom and sound.
Let our glass then go round,

Let us drink, let us revel and roar;
Whilst the coast is in view,
Our mirth shall renew,


And give the boon lads their kind welcome ashore.

This one could have been very popular among sailors, but the book only lists the lyrics. It also doesn't state how old it is. Was it first made popular in 1732 or much earlier?

It's frustrating.

[William Brand]

Not a cheap book, but it is cited as a good one.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0913372706/thecontemplsfolk