A Sea Shanty Story: Femmes de la Mer

History Misc
0

Gig rowing and sea shanty groups have a deep connection in the UK, where the two are intertwined with the country’s rich maritime heritage.

 

You should be familiar with gig rowing’s humble roots, founded on the need for fast, agile boats that could navigate choppy waters and quickly transport people and goods between coastal towns and ports. It was a crucial activity for coastal communities that relied on fishing and seafaring for their livelihoods.

 

Similarly, sea shanties have long been an important part of the seafaring culture in the UK. Originating in the 18th century, these rhythmic work songs were often sung by sailors during long voyages to help them keep rhythm while performing repetitive tasks like hoisting sails or hauling ropes. Over time, sea shanties became an important part of maritime culture and were typically sung by groups of men in pubs or on board ships… until now.

 

Many gig rowing clubs in Cornwall have their own sea shanty groups that perform at events and competitions, and the two activities are often seen as complementary expressions of the region’s maritime heritage. Put together, that’s a powerful force to be reckoned with!

 

In recent years, the popularity of sea shanties has experienced a resurgence thanks in part to social media and the internet. Groups like The Longest Johns and The Fisherman’s Friends have gained international attention with their modern interpretations of traditional shanties, leading to renewed interest in this important aspect of UK culture. And let’s not forget Nathan Evans who claimed the top spot on the UK charts with his rendition of Wellerman in March 2021.

The connection between gig rowing and sea shanties in the UK is a testament to the enduring power of the country’s maritime heritage. Whether it’s racing in a traditional wooden boat or singing a rhythmic work song, these activities help keep alive the traditions and stories of those who lived and worked on the sea.

 

Fast forward to International Women’s Day, 8th March 2023. We shared the story of Ann Glanville of Saltash, renowned for winning regattas and challenging all-male crews to races in ports around the UK.

Image courtesy of the Ralph Bird Collection

 

This led us to a sea shanty by the same name from shanty group, Femmes de la Mer and we were lucky enough to catch up with their band leader and musical director, Claire Ingleheart, to learn more:

 

We love the songs you’ve written for Femmes de la Mer – what gave you the inspiration to begin to write your own sea shanties?

I’ve always sung folk songs and loved shanties when I first came across them on mass at the Falmouth Shanty Festival.  I’d worked with community choirs for many years and about 8 years ago, set up the all female shanty group, Femmes de la Mer.    As part of our repertoire, we sing a range of sea shanties, folk songs and in particular, traditional Cornish folk songs.   I love the repertoire that already exists but I couldn’t help noticing that most of the songs were written about men, or from a man’s perspective.
As my own daughters became teenagers and started to show an interest in learning these songs, it just felt wrong to me, to not be teaching them songs about inspirational women or at least songs in which women feature in a positive light, rather than always being left on the shore, abandoned.  I decided that if there weren’t already songs that existed, I would have to write my own!

 

 

We’ve mentioned the history of sea shanties above, can you tell us a little more?

Shanties are rhythmical work songs that were traditionally sung aboard merchant ships by sailors and whalers.  They were sung to help keep workers in time during certain tasks aboard the ship.  The words to songs were sometimes adapted to create amusement and make them relevant to the crew aboard. Traditionally, they are sung in what’s known as a ‘call and response’ style whereby there is a leader who does the ‘call’ and the crew would respond with a chorus.  There is often a lot of repetition and importantly, the rhythm stays steady throughout.

If someone is looking to join or start their own sea shanty group, what would you suggest?

 

If you want to find out about local shanty groups in your area, a good place to start is local folk clubs.  Ask around, people in the folk scene are usually really friendly and often know about what’s happening in their local area.  If you’re looking to start your own, go for it!  There is plenty of material on line these days.  If you go on Youtube you can find fantastic sources of inspiration.  Go to a shanty festival, Falmouth has an incredible festival that happens every year in June, there are dozens of groups singing from the pubs and on the streets.

 

Can you tell us about some of your favourite women you have written about?

I’ve collaborated with several writers to look at the stories of Cornish Women.  Two of the women we’ve written about are rowers, Jenny Mopas and Ann Glanville.
Jenny Mopas was in charge of the ferry, a rowing boat that would transport people between the Roseland and Truro (Malpas) during the 1800’s.  In those days, it was very popular to go to dances which were held at Coinage Hall.  Jenny would row them across, drop them off then wait on the slip, apparently cooking potatoes. She would then row them back to the Roseland at the end of the night.

Photo credit: Royal Institution of Cornwall

 

Ann Glanville, what a woman – can you tell us about her from your research?

Ann Glanville was a champion rower.  In the 1800’s she put together an all female team that beat the Cornish men.  She then took her team of women over to France and beat the French men.
She also had 14 children so we definitely believed she deserved to have a song written about her!

Photo Credit: Femmes de la Mer

 

 

 

 

We couldn’t agree more… The research element behind your song writing sounds fascinating! Can we get some insight into your creative process behind writing your songs? 

I love collaborating with writers and have been lucky enough to work with Annamaria Murphy, Jaime Lock and Natalie McGrath.  With each of these writers, we have set out to find stories of Cornish women connected to the sea and that capture our imagination.  Anna is a rower herself so of course, was immediately drawn to the story of Ann Glanville.  With Jenny Mopas, Jaime and I were commissioned by the Hall for Cornwall and English Heritage to research a woman connected to Truro.  We were delighted when we found the story of Jenny Mopas, she immediately fitted our brief!
With Natalie, we came across the story of Dolly Pentreath.  Once we found a story, each of the writers would come up with a possible draft of lyrics.  I would then work with the lyrics, making them have structure suitable for a song ie ‘call and response’ or a clear ‘verse and chorus’.  Once we had the lyrics we were happy with, I set them to music and would then make an arrangement with harmonies, suitable to be sung by my choirs, community singers and of course, Femmes de la Mer.

 

 

 

 

How can we find you?

In 2022 we were lucky enough to record our first album with Femmes de la Mer, Today’s Haul which is available on all the usual online platforms, or you can order a CD by emailing: hellofemmesdelamer@gmail.com
We were recently featured in Rick Stein’s programme on the BBC and you can also check us out at:

About The Author

No Comments on "A Sea Shanty Story: Femmes de la Mer"

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *