Details
- Instrument:
- Choir
- Ensembles:
- TTBB 4-Part A Cappella Chamber Music
- Genres:
- Classical Barbershop
- Composers:
- David Brown
- Publishers:
- James Rohn
- Series:
- ArrangeMe
- Item types:
- Digital
- Level:
- Intermediate
- Artist:
- David Brown
- Usages:
- School and Community
- Number of Pages:
- 13
SKU: A0.1844024
Composed by David Brown. Arranged by James Rohn. This edition: pdf. A Cappella, Barbershop, Chamber, Folk. 13 pages. James Rohn #1403564. Published by James Rohn (A0.1844024).This arrangement of the iconic sea shanty "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?" is designed to capture the rugged, rhythmic energy of a crew at sea while utilizing the full expressive range of a male ensemble.
Whether performed by a powerhouse chorus or a tight-knit quartet, this setting balances traditional folk grit with clever harmonic twists.
Arrangement Highlights
Voicing: TTBB (Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Baritone, Bass).
Style: Nautical Folk / Character Piece.
Difficulty: Intermediate (Focuses on rhythmic precision and dynamic storytelling).
Musical Journey
The piece begins with a lone soloist or a unison "call" that feels like a morning mist on the deck. As the verses progress, the arrangement builds in intensity:
The "Working" Groove: The middle voices provide a driving, percussive "chugging" rhythm that mimics the pulling of ropes (heaving and hauling).
Harmonic Color: While staying true to the Dorian mode typical of sea shanties, the arrangement dips into crunchy secondary dominants and a few surprising chromatic descents to illustrate the "drunken" stagger of the protagonist.
The Bass Foundation: The Basses anchor the ship with a resonant, "pedal-point" low end, occasionally taking the lead for the grittier verses ("Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him").
Performance Notes
Storytelling: Each chorus should grow in volume and "rowdiness," culminating in a grand, soaring finale that suddenly cuts to a humorous, whispered ending.
Tempo: A steady, brisk march ($d = 110-120text{ BPM}$) keeps the momentum from flagging.
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- More by this Composer:
- David Brown David Brown Horn David Brown Organ David Brown Piano
- ArrangeMe:
- James Rohn
- Series:
- ArrangeMe
- Artists:
- David Brown
- Ensemble:
- TTBB 4-Part A Cappella Chamber Music
- Publisher:
- James Rohn