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Before the Mast (left to right in photo above) consists of Bruce Noble, Greg Marquis, Rick Clark (with bodhran), Gary Caines, Dale Peters, Bob Burgess (front), Bryce Neill, Roland D'Abadie and Paul-Emile Chiasson .
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News ! Before the Mast's CD Rolling Down has been nominated for an East Coast Music Award :
Roots / Traditional Group Recording of the Year
Enregistrement de l’année – Folklore / traditionnel – Groupe
http://ecma.com/news.asp?id=234
Events
On Fri., Feb. 3, 2012 - LAURA SMITH & GEORGE ANTONIAK (9:00 PM) are playing at the Vintage Bistro in Hampton and Before the Mast will be doing an opening set for them.
Before the Mast launched their new CD “Rolling Down” at the Saint John Arts Centre on Friday, November 18th to a full house. The crew really enjoyed singing in such a great space for such an appreciative audience.
Before the Mast recently traveled to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for a shared concert with the Yarmouth Shantymen. It was great fun for the men of both groups to get a chance to sing together.
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Formed in 2007, Before the Mast sings "a cappella" (no instruments) and is dedicated to preserving and promoting songs of the sea. Many of these, such as short or long haul shanties, were working songs, designed to help sailors perform repetitive and arduous tasks. Others were ballads or ‘nonsense’ songs, performed by sailors when they were off duty, either onboard vessel or ashore. Most of the songs come from the merchant sailor tradition but a number deal with the navy. The group’s repertoire also includes songs by modern composers such as Tom Lewis. Before the Mast is based in the Saint John area, once home to one of the largest ocean-going sailing fleets in the British Empire, and a major ship-building centre.
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"Sea-Fever"
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
By John Masefield (1878-1967).
(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)
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