#SEA SHANTY – Minneapolis maritime musician Bob Walser is on the crest of a wave with an appearance at Scotland's biggest maritime heritage festival.
Living thousands of miles from the nearest ocean and slap bang in the landlocked Midwest of the United States, Bob Walser is probably the least likely champion of maritime music that you could ever expect to come across. But the musician and scholar fell hook, line and sinker for the melodies of the sea while on a visit to the east coast of North America – a visit which signalled the start of a love story that has endured for more than 30 years.
Bob has travelled all over the world to share his passion for sea shanties and maritime traditions, and this summer will jet across the Atlantic to perform at Scotland's biggest maritime heritage festival. He will take centre stage at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, which attracts in excess of 16,000 people to the shores of the picturesque seaside town of Portsoy on the Aberdeenshire's northern coast. During the Festival he will be recreating Scottish work songs which have not been performed since the early 1900s, giving audiences a unique opportunity to see a lost tradition return to life.
The festival brings together a large collection of heritage vessels from far and wide, and has an extensive programme of activities on the quayside of the historic 17th century Portsoy harbour. Visitors can learn how to use freshly caught seafood at a series of cookery demonstrations, see craftsman create wooden boats by hand, and discover traditional crafts such as knitting and weaving. However, one of the most popular land-based attractions is the arts programme which features musicians, dancers and performers from all over the world.
Bob has previously performed at the Festival and cannot wait to return to Scotland for this year's event, which takes place on June 23 and 24. He adds, "I last visited in 2009 and loved it. I have very fond memories of great people, gorgeous boats and warm hospitality. They have this wonderful local fish called an Arbroath Smokie – I would travel some distance for another chance to taste one!"
Bob (58) plays a number of different instruments, including the button accordion, concertina, guitar and banjo. It was while on a visit to the east coast that he first heard the energetic rhythms of nautical music and loved it to much that he settled for a time in Connecticut, crafting a career as a shantyman at Mystic Seaport – one of the largest maritime museums in the USA. In addition to this role he has presented folklore music and dance programmes at schools across the USA, and can often be found leading songs at the Dubliner in St Paul, Minnesota, at the First Monday Shanty Sing. Bob earned his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies. His research has been published in many journals, and he has also released three CDs of maritime music.
He said: "The landlocked Midwest is as far from the sea that you can get in North America. When I went to the east coast and heard maritime music, I fell in love with it and have been singing it ever since. I've made all or part of my living from maritime music since 1979.
"Despite now living back in Minneapolis the advent of the internet has meant that it is not hard at all to keep alive the passion that I have for these traditions. When I moved back in 1985 I brought with me loads of books and records: I still collect them but these days digital archives on the internet are amazing. It's harder to find places to perform the stuff in the Midwest, but I've continued to tour and record so I still have - or create - opportunities to work with these glorious traditions.
"What I enjoy most about this type of music is participation. This is good stuff for anyone to get stuck in to and have a good sing. There is humour, energy, and all kinds of emotions and I love connecting with audiences through music and dance. Singing together is a magical experience that is, for me, endlessly fascinating and challenging: every experience is unique."
Bob has carried out extensive research into the origins and traditions of sea shanties and has discovered that it has the ability to cross boundaries. That, he says, is the reason why he feels so at home on stage anywhere in the world.
"Sailors spring from the same stock: in tall ship sailing days - and possibly today as well - sailors were a footloose lot and moved from ship to ship, port to port, so crews often included sailors from various countries, speaking various languages and bringing various musical experiences and traditions. Shanties were tools of the trade - the best ones worked on any vessel regardless of its home port.
"Historically, shanties were a 19th century phenomenon, but they continue today to have astonishing power and popularity. There are thousands of people singing them not only in Scotland and the US, but in the Netherlands, all over Scandinavia and - to a mind-boggling extent - in Poland!"
Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional Boat Festival puts a strong emphasis on boatbuilding and restoration in an effort to keep alive the skills that have been passed down through generations. The event has been a stalwart supporter of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project – a unique initiative which encourages communities across Scotland to come together to build their own wooden rowing boats – St Ayle's Skiffs – and race them against crews from rival towns and villages. Skiff racing was commonplace in coastal communities in the early part of the 20th century, and thanks to the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project is undergoing a resurgence in popularity. The Festival will play host to the biggest ever St Ayle's Skiff rowing regatta and Bob will be working with the crews on a special project.
He explained: "This year I'm working with the coastal rowing clubs to bring to life an ancient and unique worksong tradition from the Firth of Forth area of Scotland. We'll be re-creating songs that were sung by oyster fishermen many years ago but which fell into disuse a century ago. My research has included work with these songs which are absolutely unique and fascinating - unlike any other maritime songs I've ever heard."
The 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional programme is being continually developed. To keep up to date with the latest additions to the event, be sure to keep in touch through the Festival website www.scottishtraditionalboatfestival.org.uk and through Facebook and Twitter – search for @STBFestival. Day and weekend tickets will shortly be available for purchase for the Festival. An adult day ticket costs £8, children aged five to 18 and concessions are £5. Adult weekend tickets are priced at £12 and children and concessions at £8. There are also family tickets available which allow entry for two adults and three children for £25 for a day ticket and £35 for a weekend. Children under five go free and there is no charge for parking.
Bob Walser, a leading authority on maritime music and sea shanties from Minneapolis, USA
