06/07/2026
We are delighted to launch a new initiative to bring 'Naval Songs and Ballads' back to life!
'Volume 33 is a collection of ballads about (and in many cases by) sailors and their exploits, from the fourteenth to the middle of the nineteenth century. They convey what was felt and what was believed by those who wrote them and those who bought them. They demonstrate how public opinion was formed and help to explain the growth of popular traditions. The ballads explain with singular vividness and realism aspects of maritime life. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, professional writers put stirring incidents of the day into verse for popular information. Another class of ballads were those written by the sailors themselves to describe actions in which they had taken part. Such ballads were produced frequently in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A third class of ballads were written by professional men of letters. Some wrote with a political objective in mind, whilst others did so because the sailor and his exploits were a popular topic of the day.'
See its contents here: https://boydellandbrewer.com/book/naval-songs-and-ballads-9781739296438/?v=7885444af42e
The tunes are named, BUT the music is not printed.
We are appealing to anyone interested in contributing to a digital community record of these songs and helping us launch our new YouTube Channel. We want to reconnect the music, lyrics and the history of these songs and ballads.
If you are interested or have any questions, please email [email protected]
