Randy Hudson Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Some local classical musicians are putting together a concert of the music from the movie “Master and Commander”. The period is the early 1800’s and the scene is a British Man of War. In the film, the Captain and the Doctor play classical pieces on violin and cello in the Captain’s cabin. I have been asked to add a couple “hornpipe sort of things that the sailors may have actually played on board”. Any suggestions? Stories to go with? As an aside: I love the tune “Sir Sydney Smith’s March” – but it isn’t the sound they are looking for. However, I believe that at least Sir Sydney dates from about that time. Anyone know about him, and/or about the history of the tune itself? It seems classically influenced. Randy Hudson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Hudson Posted February 5, 2004 Author Share Posted February 5, 2004 Before anyone points out the obvious, I already explained that the period would have been a bit early for the concertina - but they are not being THAT persnickity. But that raises another issue. Were guitars used aboard ship? Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 I love the tune “Sir Sydney Smith’s March” – but it isn’t the sound they are looking for. Is it possible that "the sound they are looking for" is in conflict with historical accuracy? That could make it a little more difficult to find something to please "them". I would suggest asking for help from the Country Dance and Song Society. I know they have some publications of dances and dance music from the Revolutionary War era and after. Maybe some of Marshall Barron's instrumental arrangements would even be useful. One good book for tunes is "William Litten's FIDDLE TUNES 1800-1802", though I don't find it on the current CDSS sales list, and I don't know if it's still in print. Chip and Fran Hendrickson in Connecticut are also experts on music and dance of the period. If CDSS can't help you with contact information for them, check with me off line. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Pete Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Anything the SAILORS might have performed would be anything popular on shore - you're a bit before the traditional sea-shanty era, which means the clipper-ship era a generation or two later, plus the Navy didn't allow sea-shanty-singing ( ie as work songs ) anyway. Try looking up english folk-dance tunes of the early 19thc - that's what they would have played. Possibly some irish as well, although irish "dance"music has become rather ubiquitous on the trad music scene ( and I love it, but not probably authentic for the time ). And on fiddle, whistle, fife perhaps. But no mandoline or concertina. GP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Agree with Pete, there wasn't that much music on a British man of war. And his suggestion of English early 19thc tunes is, I think, spot on. Here's a gem that came up recently in discussion elsewhere, called Fete du Village, an English tune despite the name, from the Mittel collection. Wm Mittel was an English fiddler active in the Hastings area (I believe) around 1890. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 One good book for tunes is "William Litten's FIDDLE TUNES 1800-1802",... To this I'll add a quote from the book's INTRODUCTION, to indicate its appropriateness: This collection of fiddle tunes was made by William Litten at sea on a vessel, or on two different vessels, of the British India fleet in the years 1800, 1801, and 1802. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Hi, Randy, I have a page online: Victorian Songs And Older On this page, see the link for the 'contents' of the book. All titles are listed. I don't have them all online, but, I could scan the book's page without too much trouble, and send you a copy, if you see something you like. There is a 'Songs Of The Sea' section, I think. The book is from 1895, but, some of it's contents are from times before that. (I love some of the old 'Vics' -- songs-- as I call them.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Booth Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 As has been pointed out, work songs and chantys were not allowed on Navy ships of the time, except for fiddle or fife tunes played by a man stationed on the capstans as heavy hauling was performed. Usually popular songs of the day were played, with an accent on tunes that emphasised the rythm of the work being done. "Farewell you Ladies of Spain" is mentioned often as are pieces of poetry composed by officers and published in the Periodicals of the day. Some support volumes have been published by Norton that explicate and expand on the novels, and may be a good resource. Take a look at the website "Contemplations from the Marianas Trench". he's got a pretty good selection of sea tunes of roughly the same era, with MIDI files and lyrics. In O'Brians novels, the Captain and the Doctor seemed to be fondest of early Italian Baroque music, with a few references to Bach's "revolutionary" new compositions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckln Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 Randy Speaking of Spain, check out the following snip. I mention it to you on the old forum but you never responded. LaPaloma is the 3rd song I learned. When a session was going closing down, I played it and they all took their instuments back out. There's something about how the melody follows the 'precussion' that has me hooked and in how many different ways it can be styled. Each country free to adapt it as they wish. There are 4 CD's with nothing but LaPaloma on them. I have two of them already,vol 1&2 and may get the other 2. Every major singer has sung this song from Dean Martin to Catharina Valente, now there's a masterpiece. Melodylane.com has a nice arrangement with lyrics (printed). It's about a sailor who never makes it back. I was taked a back when I heard it in the background in the movie Das Boot . Snip...LA PALOMA is one of the most popular songs ever written. Composed in Spain by Sebastian de Iradier in the last century, it immediately became a huge success and continued on a triumphal march around the world. From China to Hawaii and from Cuba to Scandinavia - wherever it went, people fell in love with the melody and turned it into tangos, marches and even reggae. Opera singers couldn't resist its schmalz and neither could the jazz avant-garde or rock musicians. Following the success of LA PALOMA Vol. 1 & 2, here are another 28 versions of the song of the century. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rand Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 In Patrick O-Brian's book The Far Side of the World I believe Hollom plays a guitar to accompany his singing. Rand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Zuraw Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Randy, Do you have access to this CD: http://www.essaycd.com/store/genre.asp?gen..._id=10&cd_id=61? Jerry Bryant plays Anglo and taught a concertina class as well as singing at Meadowlark Music Camp in Maine in 1999. The CD is a nice mixture of vocals with instrumentals (fiddle by Ron Grosslein of Swallowtail) for variety. The publisher also has a link to lyrics for the songs: http://www.essaycd.com/HTML/ROAST_BEEF_Lyrics.doc. Perhaps notwithstanding all the comments about authenticity so far, Jerry and his collaborators did a good bit of research on period music for this CD. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 (edited) 'The Roast Beef Of Old England' is in the table of contents of my old songbook I mentioned. I would guess that it's the same one. Edited February 8, 2004 by bellowbelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Edgley Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 I know the tune "Sir Sydney Smith's March and have to say it's a great tune. I've just finished reading Master & Commander by O'Brien (not at all like the movie), and Sir Sydney Smith is mentioned towards the end of the book. No background on him, though. Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam B Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 During the movie, they played "O'Sullivan's March" on deck. I'm not sure if that's the same tune you mentioned in your original post, with a different name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 They also played a curious arrangement of Mozart's A Major Violin Concerto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 A classic tune/ song of the period, probably mainly army, was 'Over the Hills and Far Away'. This tune was used as a theme in the UK television series 'Sharpe' Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDT Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 I know the tune "Sir Sydney Smith's March and have to say it's a great tune. I've just finished reading Master & Commander by O'Brien (not at all like the movie) The book is much better than the movie. I've read the first 4 books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Some local classical musicians are putting together a concert of the music from the movie “Master and Commander”. The period is the early 1800’s and the scene is a British Man of War. Randy, Royal Navy, Nelson period? - I'd say anything by Dibdin would be "period"! I do his "Tom Bowling" on the Anglo in G, for instance. Goes very well, although the composer couldn't have been thinking of the concertia as he wrote ... Another song I do to the Anglo (in C) is "Admiral Benbow". You might also look for John Playford's English dances - a bit earlier, but still probably popular around 1800. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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