The Royal Yard: Stu
Markus and Robin Greenstein
A
duo singing sea chanteys and songs of the sea for audiences of all ages.
photograph by Janet Garlick
Performing acapella and on guitar and banjo.
Various programs offered including:
• Salty Songs and Sailor Slang
• Pirates, Parrots and Patches (kids show)
• American History in Song
You've seen
the movies with Errol Flynn, Gregory Peck and Johnny Depp, but what was it
REALLY like to be a pirate or sailor on a tall ship, and what is
all that great music that they sang? Sea chanteys are the traditional music
of the
oceans, sung by sailors in the
days of the
great tall ships. Before the advent of electrical, diesel or steam-powered
machinery, the work on board ship was done by hand; all hands would haul or
heave together. Chanteys were sung to keep rhythm, and have a call-and-response
structure. In the days before radio and television, chanteys were also a way
for sailors to entertain themselves off-watch.
Beneath their spray-roughened skin and weather-beaten faces were some very
creative minds. The songs tell stories of life at sea, recounting tales of
adventure,
thoughts of home and loved ones and sailors’ gripes about their jobs,
in a lively and sometimes hilarious manner!
THE ROYAL YARD’s programs are both entertaining and educational, as the
sea is an integral part of New York and Long Island history. New York City was
and is a major port. Tall ships once lined the piers of Manhattan and Brooklyn
- the lower East River bridges were designed with lofty masts in mind. On Long
Island, Port Jefferson and Northport were ship-building towns and Cold Spring
Harbor and Sag Harbor were whaling ports.
Scuttlebutt Stu and Blood Red Robin can adapt their presentations for targeted
audiences, including grade schools, high schools, universities, libraries, senior
residences and museums. Their playful energy will get nearly any audience singing
along!
All programs include explanations of life aboard ship, incorporating elements
of geography, science, and language - did you know that some of the most commonly
used slang expressions in American parlance derive from the lingo and jargon
of the
sea? (Phrases like "cup of Joe", "son of a gun", feeling "groggy" and so many
more!)
The
songs
cover the period of history dating from the War of 1812 to the 20th century,
and include
several original compositions.
References: Quogue Public Library, Quogue, NY, Amagansett Public Library,
Amagansett, NY; Sayville Public Library, Sayville, NY, Glen Cove Public
Library, Glen Cove, NY
Stu and Robin also perform "A Very Dickens Christmas" program for December.
Contact
Robin for more info.
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