The Wireless Male Voice Chorus

Conducted by Cyril Dalmaine
William Parsons (Baritone)
At the Pianoforte, Ernest Lush
(All Items arr. Terry)

Good morning, ladies all (Halliards)
Several shanties have this title, but this particular time seems to have been confined to Blyth and Tyne ships.

The Wild Goose Shanty (Windlass and Capstan)
Allusions to 'The Wild Goose Nation' occur in many shanties, but there seems no clue as to the meaning of the term.

Reuben Ranzo (Halliards)
Ranzo's identity must ever remain unknown. Possibly a corruption of the Portuguese 'Lorenzo,' since Yankee whalers took many Portuguese men from the Azores.

Sally Brown (Windlass and Capstan)
In musical form a 'halliard' shanty, yet always used for the capstan.

Hilo Somebody (Interchangeable)
Another shanty learnt by Dr. Terry as a boy from Blyth sailors. 'Blackbird' and 'crew' probably a perversion of 'blackbird and crow,' a figure of speech occurring often in shanties.

Let the Bullgine run (Windlass and Capstan)
A Transatlantic origin is suggested by the reference to 'Bullgine.' Endless verses, no narrative, merely a recital of place-names, to and from which 'they' were running.

Blow the man down (Halliards)
One of the best-known shanties among landsmen. 'Winchester Street' was the aristocratic quarter in South Shields, where only distinctive people such as shipowners and 'South-Spainer' skippers lived.

Boney was a warrior (Halliards)
All seamen have hoisted topsails to this shanty, although why Jack should make a hero of Napoleon is a mystery.

Bound for the Rio Grande (Windlass and Capstan)
This version is the most beautiful of many variants. 'Where are you going to, my pretty maid?' used frequently to be sung to this tune.

Whisky Johnny (Halliards)
Every collection includes some version of this favourite Bacchanalian chant.

Billy Boy
A ' coast' song made into a shanty. The theme is common to folk-songs in various parts of the country.

The robust sentiments and strongly marked rhythm of sea shanties are both marks of their origin. Shanties are the sailors' work-songs, sung to accompany and assist many of the operations on the old sailing ships. In those days, when sails had to be hauled, bilge-water pumped, the anchor raised by hand, the rhythm of a shanty sung in chorus would often lighten the labour. For the same reason, shanties fall into different groups according to the rhythmical needs of the job to be done. The two main forms are Hauling Shanties and Windlass and Capstan. A few are interchangeable. Tonight's programme from Sir Richard Terry 's collection, 'The Shanty Book,' contains a representative selection of these rousing popular songs.

(An article on Sea Shanties appears on page 271)