The book has also been nominated for Isle of Wight Book of the Year- we didn’t get into the short list but this may have been because we didn’t fit into any of the categories (well that’s what I think)!!
This is a book of songs of the sea, that come from, or are associated with, the Isle of Wight. They are about shipwrecks, sea battles, smugglers, the Navy, lost loves and much, much more. Some songs are traditional, some have recently been written, some have originated elsewhere and have been adapted to the Island’s history or geography. Some are serious, some frivolous, some critical, some verging on the edges of rudeness and sometimes straying to the northern shores of the Solent.
The collection comprises 42 songs and one tune. Each song has a basic score, and full lyrics from which you can adapt the songs to develop your own presentation. Illustrations have been specially created for the songs and stories.
All procedes from sales of this book go to the Needles branch of the National Coastwatch Institute, who keep a 365 day watch over the waters of the Solent and it’s Western approaches from their station above the famous Needles.
The last copies we had were sold at the 2024 Yarmouth Sea Songs festival, Medina Bookshop in Cowes may be able to find a copy.
Medina Bookshop, 50 High Street Cowes
Isle of Wight, PO31 7RR.
Or through their web site: https://medinabookshop.com/contact.
Contributions on songs were received from the IW archive produced by Dave & Anwyl Williams, from contemporary writer from the Island, permissions to use recordings from the 1970’s and 80’s and a few personal memories. Preparing the scores for the songs was an immense effort for which I’m grateful to Anwyl. Once I had taught her how to use ABC notation, we were away!
The appearance of the book was greatly enhanced by the illustrations produced specially by Chris Wicks who created most of the internal illustrations and also the book cover. Our cover figurehead is based on that of The Primos, a Spanish barque which struck the Seven Sisters Reef between The Isles of Scilly and Land’s End on the 24th June 1871. The figure head floated free of the wreck and became the life-raft on which the only survivor of the wreck, Vincenzo Defilice, clung to for several hours before being picked up by a pilot boat from Scilly. The figure head eventually washed up on St Martin’s and is now in the National Maritime Museum.
We are also grateful for the help and advice provided by Meridian 3 Printers of East Cowes.
Although we took 18 months to prepare the book and spent endless hours checking and correcting, there are no doubt a few typos and mistakes that have crept through. We will make note of them here.