The Mary Ellen Carter arranged by Marjorie Halloran (world premiere)

Text by Stan Rogers (Permission: Working on it; in contact with estate)

She went down last October in a pouring driving rain

The skipper, he'd been drinking and the mate, he felt no pain

Too close to Three Mile Rock, and she was dealt her mortal blow

And the Mary Ellen Carter settled low

There was just us five aboard her when she finally was awash

We'd worked like hell to save her, all heedless of the cost

And the groan she gave as she went down, it caused us to proclaim

That the Mary Ellen Carter'd rise again

Well, the owners wrote her off; not a nickel would they spend

She gave twenty years of service, boys, then met her sorry end

But insurance paid the loss to us, so let her rest below

Then they laughed at us and said we had to go

But we talked of her all winter, some days around the clock

She's worth a quarter million, afloat and at the dock

And with every jar that hit the bar, we swore we would remain

And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again!

Let her name not be lost to the knowledge of men

Those who loved her best and were with her 'til the end

Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!

All spring, now, we've been with her on a barge lent by a friend

Three dives a day in hard hat suit and twice I've had the bends

Thank God it's only sixty feet and the currents here are slow

Or I'd never have the strength to go below

But we've patched her rents, stopped her vents, dogged hatch and porthole down

Put cables to her, 'fore and aft and girded her around

Tomorrow, noon, we hit the air and then take up the strain

And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again!

Let her name not be lost to the knowledge of men

Those who loved her best and were with her 'til the end

Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!

For we couldn't leave her there, you see, to crumble into scale

She'd saved our lives so many times, living through the gale

And the laughing, drunken rats who left her to a sorry grave

They won't be laughing in another day

And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow

With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go

Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain

And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again

Rise again, rise again!

Though your heart, it be broken, and life about to end

No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend

Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!

Program note — The Mary Ellen Carter was not a real boat, but I’ve loved the story since I was young. According to Stan Rogers, he was inspired to write “The Mary Ellen Carter” by listening to the Grand Old Opry on the radio as a kid, and wanted to write an inspirational song that was “nonreligious, nondenominational, and nonfattening”. The message at the end of “The Mary Ellen Carter” is so uplifting and powerful that it is credited with saving a life: Chief Mate Bob Cusick survived the sinking of the Marine Electric in 1983 by singing the final chorus over and over as he clung to a partially deflated lifeboat, awaiting rescue. Rogers’ tune is so enjoyable to sing that I had each section take a turn with the melody while the other ones harmonize. The piano accompaniment is modeled after Rogers’ guitar playing, in a folk style. Sadly, the world lost Rogers at the young age of 33, but the legacy of “The Mary Ellen Carter” has inspired millions of fans around the world to “rise again” when faced with challenges.

Skye Boat Song arranged by Suzette Emberton, ASCAP (world premiere)

Adrienne Inglis, Flute

Alicia Denney, Rogers Military Marching Field/Parade Drum

Text by Sir Harold Edwin Boulton (1859-1935)

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,

Thunderclaps rend the air;

Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,

Follow they will not dare.

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Many's the lad, fought on that day

Well the claymore did wield;

When the night came, silently lay

Dead on Culloden's field.

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep,

Ocean's a royal bed.

Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep

Watch by your weary head.

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye.

Text is in the public domain.

Program note

The Skye Boat Song tells of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's escape to the Isle of Skye following the Scottish Jacobite army's quick and decisive defeat by British government forces at the Battle of Culloden in 1745. Culloden was the last pitched battle on British soil and the final confrontation of the Jacobite Rebellion, in which Scottish Catholics attempted to restore the senior line of the House of Stuart to the British throne. The battle raged for less than an hour.

The government forces significantly outnumbered the Scotsmen. They were better organized, and they fought with muskets, bayonets, and grapeshot against the sword-wielding Scotsmen. (Recall the song lyric, "...Many a lad fought on that day, well the Claymore did wield...") Additionally, the British army strategically positioned themselves so that a bog lay between them and the Scotsmen, forcing the Scotsmen to cross the bog while being fired upon. Between 1500 and 2000 Scottish Jacobites were killed or wounded, whereas the government forces suffered only around 300 casualties.

Following the defeat Prince Charles, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, fled to Benbecula and other places before escaping to the Isle of Skye. He was aided by supporter Flora MacDonald, who disguised him as a maid called Betty. Bonnie Prince Charlie remained on Skye for a few months before eventually making his way to France.

Different versions of the Skye Boat Song have been around since soon after the Battle of Culloden. This particular set of lyrics was penned by Englishman Harold Boulton, sometime around the year 1870. I have arranged it for SATB choir, piano, hand drum, and flute.

Audience Sing-along: Blow the Man Down, arranged by Trevor F. Shaw

Blow the man down, bullies, blow the man down

Wey hey blow the man down

Oh, blow the man down, bullies, blow the man down

Give me some time to blow the man down!

Spankin’ full rigger for New York was bound,

Wey hey blow the man down

She was well mannered and she was well found

Give me some time to blow the man down!

Soon as that packet was clear of the bar,

Wey hey blow the man down

Mate knocked me down with the end of a spar!

Give me some time to blow the man down!

Spanish Ladies arranged by Trevor F. Shaw (ASCAP)* (world premiere)

Farewell and adieu to you, dear Spanish ladies,

Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain,

For we’ve received orders for to sail for old Eng(a)land,

But hope, in a short time, we’ll see you again

(Refrain)

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors!

We’ll rant and we’ll roar all on the salt seas,

Until we strike soundings in the channel of old Eng(a)land;

From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues

We’ll hove our ship to, when the wind blows sout’western.

We’ll hove our ship to, for to make soundings clear;

‘Twas forty-five fathoms with a white sandy bottom,

So we squared our main yard and up channel did steer.

(Refrain)

Now, let every sailor drink off their full bumper,

And let every sailor drink off their full glass!

We’ll drink and be jolly, and drown melancholy,

And here’s to your health as you fall on your ass!

(Refrain)

Jaws is one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Shaw’s Quint remains one of the saltiest and most memorable characters in movie history. His rendition of Spanish Ladies is the version many Americans know best. However, it was originally a song sung by British sailors, with lyrics about a ship hauling cargo from the French Archipelago, Ouessant (Br. “Ushant”), to Scilly. The song claims the distance between the two ports as 35 leagues, but in actuality, it’s closer to thirty-three! The Americanized shanty (ironically sung by British actor Shaw) focuses on Bostonian ships and the port at Martha’s Vineyard. The arrangement Coda is premiering mixes elements of both iterations - the American tune, which is in a major key, as opposed to the English minor key, and the text is derived from multiple sources. The new age-sounding electronic track is meant to show a fun, even silly contrast between the beer Stein-swinging lyrics and the perceived seriousness of classical music. After all, sea shanties exist purely to entertain sailors throughout long journeys, so we may as well find them entertaining in modern concert form! The audience is invited to join in for the final chorus.

The Kraken's Out to Play by James Tecuatl-Lee (world premiere)

Text by James Tecuatl-Lee

Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, Tenor Soloist

"The Kraken's Out to Play

a pumping shanty

When moon is new and flat the water,

Blacker than you ever sawr,

When fish have fled and birds have scattered,

Then ye must be on yer guard.

The smell of seamen draws him out--

A nasty brute without a doubt!

In sweat and urine he delights

The Kraken's out to play tonight!

So gird yer loins and stir yer rump

To clear the bilge ye've got to pump.

Pump it out, pump it dry,

Pump til it hurts and pump til ye cry.

Mind the hull and keep it tight

The Kraken's out to play tonight!

In distant waters far from home,

Where maps deceive and monsters roam,

Beneath the surface, there's a yearning

Ma'nya man has felt it burn.

The hunger in the Kraken's glance

Would make to moan the hardest man.

And if ye catch the creature's eye,

Ye'll cross your heart and hope to die.

Upwelling like an angry ghost,

His wetness will consume the boat.

Pump it out, pump it dry,

Pump til it hurts and pump til ye cry.

Mind the hull and keep it tight

The Kraken's out to play tonight!

I met a man who saw, he claimed,

The Kraken at his filthy game.

'Twas middle watch, three weeks from shore,

And restive was the crew aboard.

The coxswain was a rigid man

He paced the deck with whip in hand.

And on that night he'd hit the rum

To ease his mind and have some fun,

He staggered out to spring a leak,

But missed the mark and sprayed his feet.

Pump it out, pump it dry,

Pump til it hurts and pump til ye cry.

Mind the hull and keep it tight

The Kraken's out to play tonight!

And at his feet a drunken sailor

Sputtered at the yellow spray.

I need not say it wasn't long

Til words were said and swords were drawn.

Then suddenly the swell engorged,

As toward the aft the Kraken forged

He put the coxswain to his mouth,

Sucked 'im dry and spat 'im out.

Across the ship from aft to fore

The sailor's juices drenched the floor.

Pump it out, pump it dry,

Pump til it hurts and pump til ye cry.

Mind the hull and keep it tight

The Kraken's out to play tonight!

The Kraken's out to play tonight -

Prepare yerself and douse the light.

And if yer shaking makes a sound,

Abandon hope, for ye'll be found.

With tentacle ungodly wide

He'll breach the hatch and slip inside.

A trail of thick and viscous ooze

Will lead ye to the trembling crew.

From stern to bow ye'll hear them scream

But none would dare to intervene

And just when you can bear no more

The Kraken will let out a roar

And bursting through the lower decks,

He'll leave the ship a sopping mess!

Pump it out, pump it dry,

Pump til it hurts and pump til ye cry.

Mind the hull and keep it tight

The Kraken's out to play tonight!"

Program note — It's 1800, out on the open ocean. The night is pitch black, and no one's watching but the stars. Out here in the unknown, where monsters lurk and anything can happen, what does a crew of young sailors do to stay sane? They pump their leaky ships to the tune of a bawdy sea shanty. The strong and consistent rhythm of these songs keeps the men coordinated in their strokes. The lyrics are shrewd, crude, often lewd – humor for a randy crew.

In The Kraken's Out to Play, the lead singer titillates the crew with tales of the mighty Kraken, an enormous sea creature of Norse legend, probably inspired by the giant squid. The Kraken terrified and fascinated the popular imagination in the 19th century, and you can see why – here's a primal creature seemingly without emotion or rationality, yet a frigate with all its manufacture and all its defenses stands no chance against it. It's raw hunger, with freaking tentacles!

The present setting reimagines the sea shanty for an SATB choir, maintaining many of the tropes of the genre, but taking advantage of the expanded range of technique and color available in a trained choir to heighten the fantasy. So gather your courage, suspend your disbelief, and prepare for horrors on the high seas!

Boy at Sea by Adrienne Inglis (ASCAP) (world premiere)

TB+piano

Text by Robert Inglis (1845-1926)

I stood at the Globe on the Isle of Wight when the Yacht America won the prize.

I sailed on the ship Prince Albert to America to join my family in Philadelphia.

From there I went to a school in Allentown. Things were decidedly unpleasant when I came home.

My stepmother made things unpleasant for me so I slid down an eve pipe and went to sea.

After a time I was brought back to, what might by stretching the term, home.

I left at the first opportunity and went again to sea.

I left again on a small coasting schooner which went ashore near Hatteras. Too much booze.

I managed to get to Norfolk and from there to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

I saw a man and woman sold, the man to one place and the woman to another.

I remarked when in Maryland I saw them sold. “Damned Abolitionist” so I was told.

Mister Lincoln was elected and the feeling was strained so I thought it was a good plan to leave again.

In June, I enlisted in what was to be the twentieth Indiana Company C.

July 22nd, 1861, we were accepted and mustered into the U. S. Service to stand up and be shot at and to shoot others if we could for the great sum of eleven dollars.

Program note — Commissioned by Inversion Ensemble for Coda’s Tales of the Sea concert in August 2023, Boy at Sea by Adrienne Inglis for tenor and bass chorus with piano recounts the sea-faring adventures of the composer’s great-grandfather as a boy. The text comes from a letter that Robert Inglis wrote in 1915 to the Commissioner of Pensions asking for a raise in his civil war pension. In providing information apparently requested by the Pension office, Robert details many events in his early years, adding a fair bit of sarcasm and wit to the narrative. The composer edited the content to fit into more of a strophic sea-shanty style. The piano part offers a sense of ocean waves as well as a few popular tunes of the day as commentary on the story.

When he and his sister were in boarding school in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, he witnessed a historic yacht race. The following year, they sailed across the Atlantic with the family of their father’s third wife. Life with his stepmother must have been unbearable, because he “went to sea” time after time to escape the unpleasantness she brought to bear. The final departure left him shipwrecked on Hatteras with drunken shipmates. He made his way to Maryland where, to his horror, he witnessed a slave auction. Sensing the tension and possibly inspired to action, he headed west to join the 20th Indiana Infantry. He later served in the 51st Pennsylvania, the Provost Guard, and the U. S. Navy. He fell off of a train in 1863, leaving him injured and in pain for the rest of his life.

Long Trip by Evan Blaché (world premiere)

Text by Langston Hughes

The sea is a wilderness of waves,

A desert of water.

We dip and dive,

Rise and roll,

Hide and are hidden

On the sea.

Day, night,

Night, day,

The sea is a desert of waves,

A wilderness of water.

The text is in the public domain.

Program note — I was inspired to set music to this text because of the subtle contrasts between talking about the calmness but also wild nature of the sea.

Audience Sing-along: What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

Early in the morning.

Hooray and up she rises

Hooray and up she rises

Hooray and up she rises

Early in the morning.

Put him in a long boat ‘til he's sober

Put him in a long boat ‘til he's sober

Put him in a long boat ‘til he's sober

Early in the morning.

Hooray and up she rises

Hooray and up she rises

Hooray and up she rises

Early in the morning.

Ulysses and Calypso by Carol Brown (world premiere)

Text by Edward Robeson Taylor (1838-1923)

For that they slew the cattle of the Sun

Ulysses’ comrades sank to death while he,

Borne on the billows of the friendly sea,

Calypso’s lovely isle in safety won;

Where filled with soothing rest his days did run

To murmurous music’s luring notes as she

Bound him in coils of such captivity,

That but for Zeus his soul had been undone.

The God’s decree the enamored nymph obeyed,

And helped the hero as his raft he made,

While brimmed her heart with desolation’s tears.

His glimmering sail she watched till in the sea’s

Great void ’twas lost, then moaned because her years

Were not as mortal as Penelope’s.

This poem by Edward Robeson Taylor was inspired by Homer's "Odyssey," one of the oldest and most epic poems passed down through history. I wanted to articulate a part of Ulysses' (also known from Greek origins as Odysseus) journey to the Isle of Ogygia, from the perspective of the immortal nymph Calypso who was exiled by Zeus for helping her father Atlas and the Titans win battles against the Olympians. Calypso fell madly in love when Ulysses, his crew lost at sea after the Trojan War, became shipwrecked on her island. She tried desperately to entice him to stay with her on her island for eternity. While at first enchanted by her, even the offer of immortality could not sway Ulysses' love for his wife, Penelope. After an intervention from the goddess Athena, Calypso selfishly releases him, even helping him build the boat that would return to his homeland of Ithaca, realizing that even life eternal cannot break the bonds of true love.

This piece opens with the song of the nymphs luring Ulysses to the island, a representation of the sensual voice of Calypso that drew him to her. The strong I - V - I (the often heard "oh-ee-ohs" in the lower voices and piano) are a nod to sailor songs and present a contrast to the delicate and melodic lines from the upper voices, revealing the struggle between temptation and honor in their many forms. I hope you enjoy this adaptation!

Wellerman arranged by Braeden Ayres

There once was a ship that put to sea

The name of the ship was the Billy o’ Tea

The wind blew up, her bow dipped down

O blow, me bully boys, blow! (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

We'll take our leave and go.

She had not been two weeks from shore

When down on her, a right whale bore

The captain called all hands and swore

He'd take that whale in tow (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

We'll take our leave and go.

Before the boat had hit the water

The whale's tail came up and caught ‘er

All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her

When she dived down below. (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

We'll take our leave and go.

No line was cut, no whale was freed

The Captain's mind was not on greed

But he belonged to the whaleman's creed;

She took that ship in tow. (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

We'll take our leave and go.

For forty days, or even more

The line went slack, then tight once more

All boats were lost, there were only four

But still that whale did go. (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

We'll take our leave and go.

As far as I've heard, the fight's still on

The line's not cut and the whale's not gone!

The Wellerman makes his regular call

To encourage the Captain, crew, and all! (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

We'll take our leave and go.