Nautical Storytelling and Sea Chantey Music

Sea Chantey Demonstration at Mystic Seaport

    I have immersed myself in nautical research for a forth coming nautical epic storytelling. I willingly signed on to Mystic Seaport's Sea Chantey class. www.mysticseaport.org  Four weeks of singing sea chanteys and learning about the music of the sea and the work it was created to support. It is not enough, the seven of us in the class are having such a good time! There are so many sea chanteys which are a combination of tales, legends and ship terminology all colored by the  wide variety of languages and nationalities of the sailors and set to rhythms of work on sailing vessels.

Here is some video of the Mystic Seaport Demonstration Crew at work April 7, 2012 on board the L. A.Dunton. A cold spring wind whipped across the Mystic River that day to remind us of how tough work would be out in the elements. The last portion shows an example of chantey music used to work the windlass.

                               Click follow to read the next post on using "bones"* in Sea Chantey music.

Bones: a rhythm instrument made of bone or wood

Similar posts:
http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/04/chasing-story-up-hill-and-out-to-sea.html
http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/03/mystic-seaport-sea-chantey-class.html

The Bosun's Pipe A Calling

It was not so long ago when I was playing with a slide whistle that I remembered a great whistle. It was a shiny Bosun's Whistle that had been in the family. I was not sure who it belonged to , but I do remember that I was entranced by it as a child. The Bosun's Pipe ( or Boatswains Pipe) or whistle disappeared.

                                                                  

Now as an adult I get that, I was probably driving my Mom crazy blowing the whistle and the sound is high pitched.  Within the four walls of a house it would be a bit much. The whistle wasn't really gone. It turned up last night as I was poking through boxes of "stuff". So Mom had kept it just stashed it. This particular pipe could have been hers as a members of Mariners Club or my Uncles from Sea Scouts. It might have been my grandfathers from a sea faring adventure.

You can hear one played at the link:
http://bluejacket.com/sea-service_calls.htm

They have been around since 1238 from what I've read on them. The Greeks and Romans using them to give orders to galley slaves on their ships. In 1671 the English Navy took up the pipe as a way of giving orders to be heard over storms at sea. As I'm writing this and the rain beats hard against the window, I can imagine the need for a piercing  call to all hands on deck.

                                                                               

Down through time the Bosun's pipe or whistle has been used, and still is today. I remember scenes from the old TV show McHale's Navy  with one. When I showed the pipe to my daughter she  said,     "Sound of Music" That may be the most common remembrance of a Bosun's Pipe for the non nautical. The wonderful movie scene where the Captain calls the children with the pipe. You can read more from the VonTrapp family legacy about the pipe calls  at this link:
www.trappfamily.com/story/the-captain

another link with great info, diagrams and midi files is: www.unionnavy.org/page8.html

One piping term has become part of common usage here is a video explanation:

                                                           

Are you hooked and you want to buy one to add authenticity to your next nautical storytelling? I found them for sale online in a wide range of prices the nicest here at:
www.brassbinnacle.com   or at www.amazon.com

another  of my blog posts a  with nautical theme : www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/07/whale-of-tail-or-is-it-tale.html