Park ranger Peter Kasin (right) leads a sea chantey sing-along aboard the 1886 sailing ship, The Balclutha.
The chantey sings take place aboard the 1886 sailing ship The Balclutha, anchored at the Hyde Street Pier, where singer-participants fill the ship's inside shelter deck.
Kasin believes being on board a ship enhances the chantey singing experience for audience members.
"This is where the chanteys were sung and it's another way one gets connected with their maritime history, to actually be on this old ship. And even though you're not out at sea and it's not the 19th century, you can feel the water, listen to the water lap against it-there's a little movement of the ship that rocks gently from side to side. And as you walk around the ship, you could just imagine what it was like for the sailors."
When he’s not singing, Kasin and his staff lead guided tours on the old sailing ships. The docents help educate youngsters about sailing life through historical reenactment. The tours and the chantey singing are part of the park's mission to preserve and promote maritime history and culture. Kasin says chantey singing provides a window into a sailor's life and the daily hardships he faced in the 19th century.
"Chanteys were tools to help them do their jobs. These were songs that set the rhythm for shipboard jobs such as weighing anchor, raising sails, or pumping the water out of the ship," he says. "They're also there to lift the sailors' spirits, because that work could not only be dangerous, it could often be monotonous. These songs would help them take their mind off it a little bit and make it seem a little more bearable."
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25