Rob reports:
SOS Day, 28th January 2011 found the Tavy Tars in Plymouth at the Maritime Inn on the Barbican, singing out shanties to raise funds for the Plymouth branch of the RNLI. From 8-11pm, to a packed pub, the Tars presented a rollicking programme of nautical music and song. The festivities began with a rousing interpretation of Greenland Whale Fisheries - a song mentioned in the novel Moby Dick. Watch this space for news of a further Tars participation in a local university project featuring whales.
The fine vocal harmonies of Tars singers were augmented by some rousing musical accompaniment on banjo, guitar, concertina and bhodran. The Tars presented a showcase of music and song from the great days of sail when British fishermen and sailors followed herring shoals around the coasts of Britain, followed whales and girls from Maui to Valparaiso and carried cargo to all four corners of the world around Cape Horn. There were traditional shanties interspersed with fun songs featuring mermaids and the Eddystone Light and local sailors bound up the Tamar river on barges bringing in coal and carrying away copper and tin. One of the highlights of the evening was a very emotional yet rousing performance of a modern song depicting the story of local emigration to the New World - Cousin Jack. There were also stirring renditions of songs of tribute to the volunteers who man our lifeboats round the shores of Britain. Don’t take the Heroes is a song featuring the story of the loss of the Penlee lifeboat, Solomon Browne in a storm off the coast of Cornwall. Lower Lights and the Farewell Shanty are traditional local song of the sea.
Audience participation was encouraged and featured strongly in the land song - Widdicombe Fayre.
RNLI fundraisers Dave and Frances were in the limelight when they joined in the comedy song Barnacle Bill the Sailor. Our thanks to Dave, Frances, the RNLI fundraising group and Rosamund and the team at the Maritime Inn for the hospitality, pasties and ale and a great musical evening.
Tars singers taking part were:
Rob, Mike, Peter, Rae, Bruce, Will, Robin and Clive
With apologies from Seth as he had to work that night.
Musicians were:
Jane - Guitar, concertina
Carol - concertina
Mike - banjo, guitar
Bruce - Bhodran
Guest singer- Lesley
Guest musician - Anna
