Sailor Song: The Shanties and Ballads of the High Seas

Sailor Song is a book that explores the historical, musical, and social history of sea shanties, with hand-drawn or wood-cut illustrations by Jonny Hannah and musical notation by Gerry Smyth. It includes 40 beautiful, mournful, haunting, and uplifting shanties, with explanations of terminology, context, and characters.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 21 January 2021
Publisher: British Library Publishing

Sea shanties, passed down through oral tradition and sung as working songs, have a rich history of capturing the human experiences of life at sea. These songs narrate the arduous tasks, the challenges posed by the elements, the losses of ships, and the longing for loved ones on shore. The pages of Sailor Song, adorned with hand-drawn or wood-cut illustrations by renowned artist Jonny Hannah, delve into the contemporary revival of sea shanties, while also celebrating and exploring the historical, musical, and social heritage of these traditional sea songs. Gerry Smyth, a passionate shanty devotee, provides insightful background information for each shanty, accompanied by musical notation. The lyrics are enriched with explanations of maritime terminology, historical context, and accounts of life on the high seas, encompassing the era of sail and the transition to square-rig ships. Where appropriate, direct digital links are provided to shanty recordings in the British Library Sound Archive, allowing listeners to immerse themselves further in the rich tapestry of these timeless melodies.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 158 x 223 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780712353700