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Thom Nolan and I have been performing for Road Scholars programs for nearly two decades. During a typical year we’ll do thirty to forty, 90-minute shows. We perform a mix of traditional Celtic music, a few covers and a lot of original songs. Most of those songs have a historical foundations in events that have happened over the centuries in our region – Chincoteague Bay and Chesapeake Bay.
Tales of Chincoteague answers the call to make our original songs available in recorded form.
You can get the physical EP at Sundial Books on Main Street in Chincoteague.
Sample the tracks below. Each song on the EP has an interesting backstory. Follow the link in the title of each song to read about the origins of the music and see some images of events behind the songs.
Tales of Chincoteague answers the call to make our original songs available in recorded form.
You can get the physical EP at Sundial Books on Main Street in Chincoteague.
Sample the tracks below. Each song on the EP has an interesting backstory. Follow the link in the title of each song to read about the origins of the music and see some images of events behind the songs.
Lady Katie
The skipjack Lady Katie was built in 1955 in Wingate, Maryland by the famous builder of wooden ships along the Chesapeake Bay, Bronza M. Parks. It was the last skipjack built for commercial service as an oyster dredging boat. Thom Nolan wrote this song to celebrate the restoration of this historic vessel. It's a charming and uplifting song.
The sad part is that three years after launching the Lady Katie, Bronza Parks was murdered at his boatyard. Read the details of this tragedy at this link.
The skipjack Lady Katie was built in 1955 in Wingate, Maryland by the famous builder of wooden ships along the Chesapeake Bay, Bronza M. Parks. It was the last skipjack built for commercial service as an oyster dredging boat. Thom Nolan wrote this song to celebrate the restoration of this historic vessel. It's a charming and uplifting song.
The sad part is that three years after launching the Lady Katie, Bronza Parks was murdered at his boatyard. Read the details of this tragedy at this link.
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Hattie Dunn
The story of the sinking of Hattie W. Dunn in WWI off the coast of Assateague Island. The vessel was built in 1884 in Maine and sunk by a German U-Boat in 1918. America was completely unprepared for entry into WWI. There were no coastal defenses in place and the US Navy was busy with war duties in Europe. Hattie Dunn was one of six, unarmed, American merchant vessels sunk in a twelve hour period by the same U-Boat. Newspapers of the time called the day "Black Sunday". Read the story here.
The story of the sinking of Hattie W. Dunn in WWI off the coast of Assateague Island. The vessel was built in 1884 in Maine and sunk by a German U-Boat in 1918. America was completely unprepared for entry into WWI. There were no coastal defenses in place and the US Navy was busy with war duties in Europe. Hattie Dunn was one of six, unarmed, American merchant vessels sunk in a twelve hour period by the same U-Boat. Newspapers of the time called the day "Black Sunday". Read the story here.
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Lost to Coal
The story of the February, 1983 tragic sinking of SS Marine Electric off the coast of Assateague Island, Virginia. Thirty-one men died. The consequences of the disaster changed the US Coast Guard forever and resulted in more than seventy commercial cargo ship being decertified and demolished in scrap yards. Read the story here.
The story of the February, 1983 tragic sinking of SS Marine Electric off the coast of Assateague Island, Virginia. Thirty-one men died. The consequences of the disaster changed the US Coast Guard forever and resulted in more than seventy commercial cargo ship being decertified and demolished in scrap yards. Read the story here.
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Find a New Tomorrow
Chincoteague Bay and the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Assateague are home for all sorts of marine life. One regular visitor is the most dangerous shark in American waters: the bull shark. Read about sharks and this song here.
Chincoteague Bay and the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Assateague are home for all sorts of marine life. One regular visitor is the most dangerous shark in American waters: the bull shark. Read about sharks and this song here.
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Killoch Shoal Light
This song celebrates the professional achievements of one of the first African-American lighthouse keepers, William Major Parker. He served as keeper of the Killoch Shoal light from 1886 until his death in 1912. Read about Mr. Parker at this link.
This song celebrates the professional achievements of one of the first African-American lighthouse keepers, William Major Parker. He served as keeper of the Killoch Shoal light from 1886 until his death in 1912. Read about Mr. Parker at this link.
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Chincoteague Moon
Love triangles always make for a great murder ballad. Chincoteague Moon is one of those tales. A terrible murder on the Island in 1885 generated this bit of fiction. Read the story here.
Love triangles always make for a great murder ballad. Chincoteague Moon is one of those tales. A terrible murder on the Island in 1885 generated this bit of fiction. Read the story here.
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Last Ghost of Assateague
Until the 1920s, tiny Assateague Island had a prospering, small village located at the base of the lighthouse. Approximately 130 people lived in the village. They made their living from the sea. Mostly by harvesting and selling clams and oysters. But a developer bought up most of the land on the Island and fenced off the village from the sea shore and Toms Cove. Islanders could not longer make a living. They abandoned Assateague Island a moved to Chincoteague. This song is a tribute to Roy Jones. He was the last person born on Assateague Island. Mr. Jones recently passed away at the age of 101. Read about the Village of Assateague here.
Until the 1920s, tiny Assateague Island had a prospering, small village located at the base of the lighthouse. Approximately 130 people lived in the village. They made their living from the sea. Mostly by harvesting and selling clams and oysters. But a developer bought up most of the land on the Island and fenced off the village from the sea shore and Toms Cove. Islanders could not longer make a living. They abandoned Assateague Island a moved to Chincoteague. This song is a tribute to Roy Jones. He was the last person born on Assateague Island. Mr. Jones recently passed away at the age of 101. Read about the Village of Assateague here.
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What Could Go Wrong
Lexi Hubb, creator of The Bivalve Trail Podcast, asked me to create a sea shanty for Episode 8: Sinking of the Marine Electric. That shows tells the story of the sinking of Marine Electric. Listen to the Podcast at this link. What Could Go Wrong sums up the shared attitude of the ship's owners, the US Coast Guard, and the Union about a ship that was too old to safely continue in service.
Lexi Hubb, creator of The Bivalve Trail Podcast, asked me to create a sea shanty for Episode 8: Sinking of the Marine Electric. That shows tells the story of the sinking of Marine Electric. Listen to the Podcast at this link. What Could Go Wrong sums up the shared attitude of the ship's owners, the US Coast Guard, and the Union about a ship that was too old to safely continue in service.
The chorus of What Could Go Wrong? Includes words and expressions that are unfamiliar to landlubbers.
Blue Peter is the nickname of the nautical signal flag that represents the letter “P”. The flag is a blue rectangle with a smaller white rectangle inside it. In the harbor when the Blue Peter is hoisted on the signal yard, it advises all other ships that the vessel will soon depart. It is also a signal to the crew to get on board ASAP.
All hands and the cook on deck. The galley crew and the engine crew (aka the black gang because of the coal dust) were exempt from all deck duties. However, when wind and weather conspired to threaten the survival of the ship that exemption was revoked. All hands and the cook means that the situation is dire and the ship might sink unless everyone lends a hand.
Blue Peter is the nickname of the nautical signal flag that represents the letter “P”. The flag is a blue rectangle with a smaller white rectangle inside it. In the harbor when the Blue Peter is hoisted on the signal yard, it advises all other ships that the vessel will soon depart. It is also a signal to the crew to get on board ASAP.
All hands and the cook on deck. The galley crew and the engine crew (aka the black gang because of the coal dust) were exempt from all deck duties. However, when wind and weather conspired to threaten the survival of the ship that exemption was revoked. All hands and the cook means that the situation is dire and the ship might sink unless everyone lends a hand.
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