Songs of sea popular in land of 10,000 lakes
Songs of sea popular in land of 10,000 lakes
A group of Minnesota musicians are leading sing-alongs to songs of the sea. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the full report.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A nearly weekly tradition has been going on for more than 15 years.
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What we know:
The Dubliner has a long tradition of having some of the best beers on tap in St. Paul's University-Midway neighborhood.
But once a month, a different kind of custom takes center stage.
On the second Monday of every month, the Irish pub turns into a time machine with customers singing along to songs of the sea from days gone by.
One by one, participants get up in front of the crowd to lead a sea shanty they know by heart.
But this is no karaoke.
There's no music, no song books and no substitute for the sound of dozens of people lifting their voices together in song.
"To me, it's a way of connecting with people, of looking at other people, of singing with other people," said songherder Steven Levine.
"I love the sense of community. I love this sense of harmony, a room full of harmony," said songherder Robin Murie.
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The backstory:
This shanty song started more than 15 years ago, when a group of folk singers, English folk dancers and reenactors started holding regular get-togethers to perform traditional folk songs about water.
Since then, it's grown from just the Dubliner to Merlin's Rest in Minneapolis on the third Monday of the month and the Wabun Picnic Area at Minnehaha Park on the fourth Monday of the month, for those who want to give their lungs a workout outside.
"We've gotten used to music being a thing that you listen to on the radio, or you watch someone up on stage sing and that's ridiculous. For most of human history, when we've been singing music, the whole point is you get everyone to sing. That's what this is all about, is that everyone can sing," said one of the group's founders, Nat Case.
Sea shanties are work songs that were used on large sailing vessels in the 1800s to synchronize sailors while performing tasks like raising a sail or pulling an anchor.
Many have a driving rhythm that includes a call and response, where the leader sings a verse and the rest of the crew sings a chorus in unison.
"A, they're historical songs, they're traditional, they go way, way back, and I'm a history buff. And B, they are really easy for people to pick up and because they tend to be relatively simple, they're really a lot of fun to create interesting harmonies too," said songherder Doug McNair.
Sea shanties became popular on TikTok during the pandemic, helping these old songs get discovered by a new generation of fans.
"It's this piece of history that could easily disappear, but here's a bar full of people keeping it going," said songherder Larry Raineri.
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What they're saying:
For some, these community songs are an almost religious experience, with the pub becoming a sacred space.
The songs are good, but it's the power of everyone singing together that is just so wonderful," said Murie.
"There's a way of communicating through songs, through music, through harmonizing, that if you could describe it in words, you wouldn't need to sing. But it's almost its own language," said Levine.
And if this watering hole is their house of worship, what better way is there to say amen?
"I love it. It's one of the best things I've ever done in my life and I want to keep on doing it and organizing it until I can't sing anymore, which is hopefully never. Honestly, I would say my idea of heaven is a pub song that never ends," said McNair.