Three Fishers
Encyclopedia
"Three Fishers" is a poem and a folk
song
written in 1851. The original poem was written by English
poet, novelist and preacher
, Charles Kingsley
. It was first set to music by English composer
John Hullah shortly thereafter. Some more recent recordings of the song follow a musical arrangement created by Garnet Rogers
in the 1980s.
The poem tells the story of three fishermen who sail
out to sea, and lose their lives when overtaken by a storm. It describes the tragic loss of the fishermen's lives to their families. Hullah's music is described as a "plaintive air
" which enhances Kingley's poem.
on the English coast. Kingsley was often present when the herring
fleet was put out to sea, an event often accompanied by a short religious ceremony for which the fishermen, their wives and their families were all present. Kingsley recalled the story at the end of a weary day and wrote the poem.
Musicologist Derek B. Scott credits Kingsley as one of the founders of the Christian Socialist Movement
in the United Kingdom
, noting that the line, "Men must work and women must weep," became a catchphrase. Also according to Scott, the line sung as a refrain after each stanza, "And the harbor bar be moaning," refers to, "the belief that it was a bad omen if the tide made a moaning sound as it receded over the sand bar that kept the harbor waters still." A performance by Scott using Hullah's musical arrangement is available online.
The song was quite popular during much of the Victorian era
. In 1883, English painter
Walter Langley
created "For Men Must Work and Women Must Weep", a watercolour painting based on Kingsley's poem. The song (as arranged by Hullah) was a frequently sung by popular vocalists such as Antoinette Sterling
and Charlotte Sainton-Dolby, each of whom gave distinctly different interpretations. Sterling once explained: "Although I had never been to sea in a storm, and had never even seen fishermen, I somehow understood that song of ' The Three Fishers' by instinct. On reading the poem over for the first time no one could know from the opening that the men would necessarily be drowned. Therefore it was a story. But there is a natural tendency to anticipate an unhappy ending; hence it was customary to begin the song so mournfully that everybody realised from the very start what the end was going to be. Madame Sainton-Dolby, for instance, used to sing it sorrowfully from the first note to the last. I had never seen or known of anyone who was drowned, but that mysterious instinct was so strong that I could not foreshadow the finish. When, therefore, I started, I always made the first verse quite bright. I must believe it was the true way, since both the poet and composer endorsed my rendering of it." According to a text by Harold Simpson, when Sterling finished performing the song at her London
debut, "there was a tumult of applause ; people rose in their places and cheered, waving hats and handkerchiefs in their excitement."
. At that time it was recorded by Richard Dyer-Bennet
for his 1955 album, Dyer-Bennet, Volume 1, and later by Joan Baez
for the 1963 album Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2
. They each performed a version using Hullah's arrangement.
In the 1980s, Canadian
folk singer Stan Rogers
recorded a version with a musical arrangement by his brother, Garnet Rogers
, for the album, For the Family
. Many more recent recordings closely follow the arrangement by Rogers, such as The Duhks
on their Migrations
album (2006), and The Once
on their self-titled 2010 release, but each giving their own rendering.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written in 1851. The original poem was written by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
poet, novelist and preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
. It was first set to music by English composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
John Hullah shortly thereafter. Some more recent recordings of the song follow a musical arrangement created by Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stan's music.-Career:...
in the 1980s.
The poem tells the story of three fishermen who sail
Sail
A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:...
out to sea, and lose their lives when overtaken by a storm. It describes the tragic loss of the fishermen's lives to their families. Hullah's music is described as a "plaintive air
Air (music)
Air , a variant of the musical song form, is the name of various song-like vocal or instrumental compositions.-English lute ayres:...
" which enhances Kingley's poem.
History
When Charles Kingsley was a boy, his father was rector of a small parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
on the English coast. Kingsley was often present when the herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
fleet was put out to sea, an event often accompanied by a short religious ceremony for which the fishermen, their wives and their families were all present. Kingsley recalled the story at the end of a weary day and wrote the poem.
Musicologist Derek B. Scott credits Kingsley as one of the founders of the Christian Socialist Movement
Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, noting that the line, "Men must work and women must weep," became a catchphrase. Also according to Scott, the line sung as a refrain after each stanza, "And the harbor bar be moaning," refers to, "the belief that it was a bad omen if the tide made a moaning sound as it receded over the sand bar that kept the harbor waters still." A performance by Scott using Hullah's musical arrangement is available online.
The song was quite popular during much of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. In 1883, English painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
Walter Langley
Walter Langley
Walter Langley was an English painter and founder of the Newlyn School of plein air artists. He was born in Birmingham and his father was a journeyman tailor. At 15 he was apprenticed to a lithographer. At 21 he won a scholarship to South Kensington and he studied designing there for two years...
created "For Men Must Work and Women Must Weep", a watercolour painting based on Kingsley's poem. The song (as arranged by Hullah) was a frequently sung by popular vocalists such as Antoinette Sterling
Antoinette Sterling
Antoinette Sterling was an Anglo-American vocalist born in Sterlingville, a community in the Town of Philadelphia in Jefferson County, New York....
and Charlotte Sainton-Dolby, each of whom gave distinctly different interpretations. Sterling once explained: "Although I had never been to sea in a storm, and had never even seen fishermen, I somehow understood that song of ' The Three Fishers' by instinct. On reading the poem over for the first time no one could know from the opening that the men would necessarily be drowned. Therefore it was a story. But there is a natural tendency to anticipate an unhappy ending; hence it was customary to begin the song so mournfully that everybody realised from the very start what the end was going to be. Madame Sainton-Dolby, for instance, used to sing it sorrowfully from the first note to the last. I had never seen or known of anyone who was drowned, but that mysterious instinct was so strong that I could not foreshadow the finish. When, therefore, I started, I always made the first verse quite bright. I must believe it was the true way, since both the poet and composer endorsed my rendering of it." According to a text by Harold Simpson, when Sterling finished performing the song at her London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
debut, "there was a tumult of applause ; people rose in their places and cheered, waving hats and handkerchiefs in their excitement."
Recordings
There have been a number of modern recordings of the song since the American folk music revivalAmerican folk music revival
The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie, John Jacob...
. At that time it was recorded by Richard Dyer-Bennet
Richard Dyer-Bennet
Richard Dyer-Bennet was an English-born American folk singer , recording artist, and voice teacher....
for his 1955 album, Dyer-Bennet, Volume 1, and later by Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
for the 1963 album Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2
Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2
Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2 was a second installment of live material, recorded during Baez' concert tours of early 1963. It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.-History:...
. They each performed a version using Hullah's arrangement.
In the 1980s, Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
folk singer Stan Rogers
Stan Rogers
Stanley Allison "Stan" Rogers was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his finely crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing...
recorded a version with a musical arrangement by his brother, Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stan's music.-Career:...
, for the album, For the Family
For the Family
For The Family is a 1983 studio album by Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers.In a departure from Rogers' earlier collections of typically original compositions on his own Fogarty's Cove label, this album features renditions of traditional Canadian folk songs as well as songs written by Rogers' relatives...
. Many more recent recordings closely follow the arrangement by Rogers, such as The Duhks
The Duhks
The Duhks is a band from Winnipeg, Canada.The members play a blend of Canadian soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old time country string band, zydeco, and Irish dance music. Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, their music draws heavily on all of the North American musical traditions,...
on their Migrations
Migrations (album)
Migrations is a 2006 album by The Duhks. It is released under the Sugar Hill Records label.-Track listing:# Ol' Cook Pot # Mountains o' Things # Heaven's My Home...
album (2006), and The Once
The Once
The Once is a folk trio based out of St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The group features Geraldine Hollett on lead vocals and vocalists/instrumentalists Phil Churchill and Andrew Dale playing a variety of instruments...
on their self-titled 2010 release, but each giving their own rendering.
External links
- The "Three Fishers" Song, a New York Times article from January 24, 1904, describing the origins of the song.