Stan Rogers – An Appreciation

June 26, 2009 · Filed Under Lore of the Sea, Songs 

Yesterday we posted about Nova Scotia’s Summer Festivals including the  Stan Rogers Folk Festival on July 3-5 in Canso on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore.   Stan Rogers wasn’t only singer and writer of sea songs.  His range of interests was far broader. Nevertheless, many of his songs about the sea have become classics.

Stan Rogers was a Canadian folk singer who died far too young, at only 33, in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 in 1983.  In the years since his death, Roger’s music has only grown more popular. For the last twelve years, the folk festival that bears his name has helped keep his memory alive, while his music continues to inspire a new generation of singers and song writers.

I only discovered Stan Rogers’ music after his death.  Rogers’ career was just beginning to take off when he died.  Of the nine Stan Rogers albums, five were released posthumously.  His first album Fogarty’s Cove focused almost entirely with life in maritime Canada.  Of the twelve songs seven are songs of the sea.  Several of his songs, including Barrett’s Privateers  and Flowers of Bermuda  are often mistaken for ”traditional” sea shanties.

 While Stan wrote wonderful sea songs, he was not a sailor. His brother Garnet once commented that Stan would “get seasick crossing a wet lawn”.  It doesn’t show in his music.

Here is Stan talking about and singing  Barrett’s Privateers:

 

We have featured Stan Rogers singing his song Bluenose in our previous post – The Queen of the Grand Banks Schooners

There is nothing more dull than a writer rambling on about music you may have never heard.  For those not familiar with Rogers music, I invite you to sample it courtesy of You tube.  Here are links to a few of my favorites:

Stan Rogers – Mary Ellen Carter - the video begins with Robert Cusick, Chief Mate on the ill fated Marine Electric explaining how Roger’s song, the Mary Ellen Carter just might have saved his life.

45 years – Stan Rogers – Live - not strictly speaking a sea song, but first verse – “Where the earth shows its bones of wind-broken stone And the sea and the sky are one”  captures perfectly the feel of the Down East coast.

Fogarty’s Cove-Stan Rogers 

Cape St. Mary’s – Stan Rogers

Make and Break Harbor  (a slideshow of images from Newfoundland set to Stan Roger’s song.)

Tiny Fish for Japan – Stan Rogers

Stan Rogers – White Squall

Stan Roger’s music is also available from Amazon.

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