Swashbuckling Sailors and the Songs They Sing

Join The Wayside Inn Foundation (TWIF) for a new program Tuesday, March 30, 2021, “Swashbuckling Sailors and the Songs They Sing: An Introduction to Sea Shanties.”

Sea shanties are experiencing a rise in popularity, particularly on social media, including TikTok, during the pandemic. TWIF is delighted to have guest speaker Pallas Catenella Riedler, PhD candidate in musicology at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, who is specializing in maritime music. Riedler will explain what a sea shanty is and where this form of music came from and will also touch upon some of the characteristics of sea shanties that have contributed to their revival today.

Riedler will dispel some of the common misconceptions about the age and origins of sea shanties which are largely a product of the 19th century and will explain how sailors often borrowed from musical traditions from land laborers and how they are a product of a number of cultural influences from around the world. The talk will also cover why sea shanties might be called upon during our global pandemic to foster a sense of community and nostalgia while people have been coping with isolation over the last year.

The program will be held via Zoom at7:00 pm. The fee for the virtual link is $5 for TWIF Members and $10 for non-members. Inspired by “The Wellerman” Sea Shanty, “Wellerman by Wayside” Hot Toddy Kits will be sold separately for $10 each with the online program and will include the recipe and ingredients needed to make two tea and rum-based hot toddies. Anyone purchasing cocktail kits must be 21 years of age or older.

Register online at http://bit.ly/HearSeaShanties. For questions or more information email TWIF@wayside.org.