Stone, Christopher. Sea songs and ballads; selected by Christopher Stone; with introd. by Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge. *90c. Oxford.
7–12668.
“Sir Cyprian Bridge tells us of the ‘Fore-bitters’ or sailors’ ditties, sung from the stage of the forebitts in the old sailing days, ditties of endless length, unaccompanied by any instrument, but not destitute of melody, ditties suited to ‘a voice like a gale of wind,’ and invariably provided with a ship’s company chorus. These and the chanties (pronounced shanties) of the merchant service are perhaps the only genuine songs of the sea. The chanties are of three kinds, each adapted to a special part of the vessels’ work—‘the capstan’ chanty, the ‘halliard’ chanty, and ‘the sheet, tack, and bowline’ chanty.” (Lond. Times.)
“The little volume should have a very large circulation and nowhere will be more heartily welcomed than on the mess decks of our warships. We have nothing but praise for the scholarly notes and the attractive form of the volume.”
| + + | Acad. 71: 633. D. 22, ’06. 670w. | |
| + | A. L. A. Bkl. 3: 130. My. ’07. S. |
“All that is given here deserves preservation.”
| + | Ath. 1906, 2: 827. D. 29. 330w. | |
| + | Dial. 42: 190. Mr. 16, ’07. 60w. | |
| Lond. Times. 6: 44. F. 8, ’07. 530w. |
“A corpus of salty folks-poesie that is as instructive as entertaining.”
| + | Nation. 84: 201. F. 28, ’07. 230w. | |
| N. Y. Times. 12: 100. F. 16, ’07. 480w. (Reprinted from Lond. Times.) | ||
| Sat. R. 102: 684. D. 1, ’06. 110w. | ||
| Spec. 97: 940. D. 8, ’06. 140w. |