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Sing a Song of Nelson
In addition to the
dance-based work of Tradamis, we also to offer songs and tunes of
the Napoleonic period, and, in particular, Nelson and his Navy.
These are focus on songs and tunes of the period, and include
historic broadsides, contemporary squibs, oral testimony and official
records.
Topics include
Nelson's Battles and Victories
The Press-gang
Naval work tunes from the days before
'shanties'
Popular attitudes to Boney (Napoleon Bonaparte)
The laments of women left behind
The women who went to sea
Conditions on board a man-o-war
Tunes of
the Period
Drops of Brandy - at One Bell (noon) the ship's fifer
played this to give notice that the tub of spirits was ready. Also had
words which were sung to it and was played while weighing
anchor.
The Rogues' March - played or just beaten on
drums when punishments such as flogging were being given.
The
Sailor Laddie - a version of this was heard at Gosport in
1781.
Donkey Riding - a shanty associated with loading
cargo - the "donkey" was the sailors' name for a chest containing
provisions or belongings.
The Keel Row - typical in
the repertoire of a ship's fiddler.
The Girl I Left Behind
Me
Durham City
Portsmouth
Lord
Nelson's Praise
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Resources
Bold
Nelson's Praise:
A Book of Dances, Songs, Tunes and Costume from around 1805
160 Sea Songs by Roy Palmer
£12.50
A revised and expanded paperback edition of The Oxford Book of Sea Songs.
Websites
HMS Victory Website
Greenwich Old Royal Naval
College
Songs of the Royal Navy
Umber Music/Tom and Barbara Brown
The Mellstock Band
Nonsuch History and Dance Company
Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society
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Sailors Hornpipe
Renaissance courtiers attributed several dances
as being performed to the rustic instrument known as the hornpipe - an
instrument of great antiquity consisting of a single reed pipe with a cow
horn bell (sometimes with 2 parallel pipes) At various times it meant a
jig, a reel or even a country dance. Shown
opposite is a rustic dance being performed to a hornpipe player. Country dances were
often stepped to the distinctive 3/2 syncopated hornpipe tunes and these are sometimes
called "maggots" from the Italian maggioletta meaning a whim or delight. Later in
the mid 18th century the 4/4 or 2/4 common time hornpipe appeared, now
referred
to as the "Jacky Tar"
The Irish, Scottish or English solo dance has
intricate steps and became associated with sailors. It is said
that Captain Cook would make his crew perform hornpipes as exercise during
spells of calm weather. By 1760 the association with the archetypal sailor
"Jacky Tar" is well established. A play-bill from Drury Lane in May 1760 announces a "Hornpipe by a
sailor from The Royal Sovereign" (a ship of the royal fleet) School boys
wishing to be sailors practiced it and it was included in
19th century naval training. Hornpipes are often performed with clogs,
especially in Northern England.
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Nelson wins the Sea Battle but not the Battle of
the Ballroom!
In the early 19th century a big change started to
take place in the fashionable ballroom. The old English Country Dances started
to fall out of favour. The French Quadrille (from the
Italian "quadriglia" - a troop of horsemen in square formation) , which
became a contredanse (French Country Dance) under Napoleon, was brought
to England in 1816. This dance was also taken up enthusiastically by
the Americans, and was one of the precursors to their Square Dances.
The Waltz
Although many
country dances were being written to a waltz rhythm, the dance itself was
considered too daring at first, because of the closeness of the couples
dancing it. It was, however to eventually sweep away the old
community dances to the extent that, now, when we talk of Ballroom Dancing
we think almost exclusively of dances for couples. It is said to have
been brought to Paris by Napoleon's troops returning from the invasion of
Germany and then to London in 1814. |
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