Thanks to Cap’n Salwarpe and his crew, yesterday we enjoyed a splendid Shanty Saturday,

A cavalcade of nautical songs from favourite artists, old and new, including the singing postie Nathan Evans, the Longest Johns, the Pogues, the Wellington Sea Shanty Society, Cyril Tawney, the Wilsons, Triakel, Ewan Macoll, Coope, Boyes and Simpson, Seán Dagher, Alestorm, La Nef, The Sheringham Shantymen, The Watersons and the Storm Weather Shanty Choir.

Such was my nautical enthusiasm that I had to dash down to Systembolaget and buy a large bottle of rum. (I was hoping to get myself a bird to sit on my shoulder too, being a great fan of that shantyastic movie, Parrots of the Caribbean, but even Norwegian Blues were out of stock.)

Leading the singing was the AW’s very own Shantyman, The Cheshire Cat and he offered the following explanation of the genre:

”The purpose of a shanty is to give co-ordination to heavy team work; that can be on dry land, but is most remembered for being at sea. But some wipsy ballad about missing one’s sweetheart back in port, don’t count as a shanty just ’cause it’s being sung at sea.”

Twang posted Nic Jones’s The Humpback Whale, » Continue Reading.