Themed Shanty Big Sings
With Jim Lucas, Linn began co-hosting a monthly series of Single-Shanty Big Sings on zoom. We rebadged these as Themed Shanty Big Sings, which will continue to include Single Shanty Big Sings. We started this idea by sharing versions of Santy Anna and creating a first Big Sing for versions of Santy Anna on 21 April 2022, which was supported by the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival http://www.pmffest.org/ in the run up to its annual festival 24-25 September 2022. The aim was to share as many versions as possible of the Santy Anna – Santy Anno – Santiana shanty/ related songs (such as Bay of Mexico and General Taylor). The Youtube video is here: https://youtu.be/3PReBT66OhQ.
Next up in this single-shanty series was Rio Grande 25 May, Youtube here https://youtu.be/JTJWw22NmII , which was followed by Shenandoah 30 June – Youtube here https://youtu.be/QK5tBsAJkDE, Sally/Shallow Brown 21 July – Youtube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBmD0f-sPvU&t=9s, and Reuben Ranzo 25 August https://youtu.be/DW-E6132Z8M. Our 6th Shanty BigSing was the finale of the online Virtual Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival 25 September, and themed on Rounding the Horn https://youtu.be/nwMIMDOWU_U . The 7th Shanty Big Sing was Johnny come down to Hilo/ the Hilo “family” of shanties Thursday 19 January 2023 https://youtu.be/3W08joq-wag, followed by No. 8 Hieland Laddie/ Donkey Riding February 16 2023 (Youtube pending), No.9 Blow the Man down 23 March 2023 (Youtube pending), No.10 Rolling Home (Youtube pending), No 11 “Fire down below” 29 June 2023 (Youtube pending), No 12 “Lowlands” 19 September 2023 (Youtube pending), No.13 “New York Girls (aka Can’t You Dance the Polka)” 7 November 2023 (Youtube pending), No. 14 on the theme “California” 13 February 2024 (Youtube pending), and No. 15 on the theme “Blow Boys Blow/ Congo River” Tuesday 30 April (Youtube pending).
The subsequent themes were:
Themed Shanty Big Sing 16, 23 10 24, “Haul away Joe”
Themed Shanty Big Sing 17, 11 12 24, “Named Ports”
Themed Shanty Big Sing 18, 19 2 25, “Named Ships and Shipping Lines”, https://youtu.be/EgsnUSlFOO4
Themed Shanty Big sing No 19, 16 1 26, “Liverpool”, https://youtu.be/T02fW3VABtY
Themed Shanty Big sing No 20, 6 3 26, “Women and wives ashore and at sea”, https://youtu.be/JIXBRZmUgIY
If you have a shanty/chantey or maritime song on the theme and would like to sing or join to listen, please contact Linn in advance by email at linnphipps @ gmail dot com, to join the mailing list for the zoom link. Shanties in other languages, instrumental accompaniment, duplicate versions – and listeners – all very welcome. And here is the Themed Shanty Big Sings website – more will be added! http://shantyman.dk/ShantyBigSings/ And the Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ThemedShantyBigSings-rc9te.
Further themes (dates tbc):
World Whale Day Sing 3rd Sunday of February
With Johnson Girls Deirdre Murtha and Bonnie Milner, Linn co-hosted a special sing to mark World Whale Day in 2023. Youtube video here https://youtu.be/uQHsa-J0aG4 . We held a second annual WWD sing on 18 February 2024 (Youtube pending), with co-hosts Linn, Bonnie Milner and Heather Preston.
We are continuing the World Whale Day sing annually, Youtube videos here:
World Whale Day Sing (No. 3) 16 2 25 https://youtu.be/R2ZRBDGERC0 hosted by Linn Phipps and Jessica Dickens.
World Whale Day Sing (No. 4) 15 2 26 https://youtu.be/0AbC7DUw3B4 hosted by Linn, Bonnie Milner and Heather Preston.
Seachdain na Gàidhlig – World Gaelic Week late February
Seachdain na Gàidhlig has run as an event of the University of Edinburgh for many years and was established as a Worldwide event in 2022. Linn had three events featured in the February 2023 Programme – a live demonstration by our Edinburgh-based Luadh le mire; and two zoom events, Gaelic song ceilidh Srùbag; and Siansadh, Linn’s monthly Learn a Gaelic Song workshop. The 2023 Programme was here: https://snagde.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Gaelic-Week-Edinburgh-Programme.pdf
A similar three events took place in February 2024, https://seachdainnagaidhlig.scot/2023/11/09/seachdain-na-gaidhlig-2024-world-gaelic-week-2024-2/ : a live Luadh Demonstration at Edinburgh University, Friday 23 February Srùbag Zoom ceilidh with special Guest Margaret Bennett, and Saturday 24 February: Siansadh, monthly Learn a Gaelic Song Zoom workshop.
Similar events have also been contributed to Seachdain na Gàidhlig in 2025 and 2026.
It was the brainchild of Fergus Reoch, conductor of Còisir Lunnainn, to record Youtube videos teaching Gaelic songs into languages other than English and you can find Linn’s 2023 contributions here:
Chuir iad mise – song teaching video in Spanish https://youtu.be/FQjbD7-xCQw
Chuir iad mise – song teaching video in Hebrew https://youtu.be/IvvuYiJ92zw
Soraidh leibh – song teaching video in French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TpDjeJ3q2o&list=PLkiVzgvQToRf7QmLRuKHSHXfpRYhVewXB&index=4
Jean Armour Day 25 February
With Pauline Vallance, Linn developed a “menu” of elements for a zoom event to celebrate the life of Jean Armour, wife of Robert Burns (1765-1834) on her birthday 25 February, in 2023. This event featured speeches, songs, tunes, toasts and recipes. The video of the event is here: https://youtu.be/PI6BDOOxlFU
We have held similar annual events since, and plan to continue this into the future. Youtube videos here:
Jean Armour birthday event (number 3) 25 February 2025 https://youtu.be/DP9-1qFJKkk
Jean Armour Birthday Zoom event (Number 4) 25 February 2026 https://youtu.be/1TPJLps3O_E
Ewart Alan Mackintosh Day 4 March
For three years, Linn collaborated with Colin Campbell (co-author of biography, ‘Can’t Shoot a Man With a Cold, Lt. E. A. Mackintosh M.C. 1893-1917, Poet of the Highland Division’ by Colin Campbell and Rosalind Green) to create a series of events commemorating World War One poet Ewart Alan Mackintosh, killed at Cambrai (along with Linn’s maternal great-uncle). This included creating this website, http://www.eamackintoshproject.com .
In 2023 Linn initiated a special zoom commemoration on Mackintosh’s 130th birthday. The Youtube video of this event is here: https://youtu.be/KuXCqPyXHyY
We have continued this commemoration on an annual basis: Youtube videos here:
Ewart Alan Mackintosh MC – Poet & Soldier of World War One –131st birthday event 4 March 2024https://youtu.be/uA4f4BEec3A
Ewart Alan Mackintosh MC – Poet & Soldier of World War One –132nd birthday event 4 March 2025 https://youtu.be/vxyu7hGAONo
Ewart Alan Mackintosh MC – Poet & Soldier of World War One –133rd birthday event 4 March 2026 https://youtu.be/_WC6OsTcPNk
Farewell and Goodnight Songs workshops in Irish and in Scottish Gaelic
We held two very successful special workshops to learn Farewell and Goodnight Songs in Irish and in Scottish Gaelic as an extension of our Srùbag Cèilidhs. 24 October 2022, Sé mo laoch, mo ghile mear with Máire Ní Chéileachair and Máire Ní Laoire, and Soraidh leibh with Linn Phipps and Marcas Mac an Tuairneir. And a second similar workshop 2 December 2022, comprising two songs: John McGee and Adam Dahmer taught Irish and Scottish Gaelic versions of The Parting Glass. Words and translations provided, suitable for those without familiarity with the languages. For more information, please email Linn via the Contact Form.
My Youtube channel
My Youtube channel is here https://www.youtube.com/c/LinnPhipps, featuring songs in Gaelic and English. Songs include The Moonshiner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92pSjLVcMO0 and “Amazon” with Australia song author Bruce Watson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCak7LtBgOo
For a full list of my Youtube videos please see this page.
Leanabh an Àigh with pianist Denis Franklin
I collaborated with pianist Denis Franklin to create a Youtube version of Gaelic carol, Leanabh an Àigh by Mary M MacDonald https://youtu.be/U9MFHZNxQQw
Salute to Rona Lightfoot project
Salute to Rona Lightfoot CDs are on this part of my website: https://linnphippsfolk.co.uk/salute-to-rona-lightfoot/ . Professor Joshua Dickson created the notes on the piping tunes/ pibrochs and they can be downloaded on the Salute page.
World War One songs
My video collaboration with Australian singer-songwriter Adrian Newington, Tha mi duilich, cianail, duilich is on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/LinnPhipps . It is a First World War song by Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna. Sung by me, with piping by Ashley MacDonald, contemporary images, and produced by Adrian, https://youtu.be/yPbtDwyFZiU. With thanks for the kind support of CEUT (Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath) and Professor Ronald Black. Other collaborations added in the Collaborations section of my Music page – click here to listen!
For Armistice Day 2022, I recorded John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” to the tune of “The King’s Navy” by Tony Phillips, and with his kind permission, here https://youtu.be/oPXaSUFXNpE
Gaelic collaborations
Tàladh Chrìosda BigSing world premiere of all 29 verses as sung at Camp Harmony 30 December 2021 and recorded soon – now on Youtube at https://youtu.be/c7LNMKr2iiY
Linn’s contribution to Silent Night – Ciùin an Oidhch’ – is on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/yH0kdULcH3s
Nuair bha mi òg – Còisir Lunnainn quartet of Linn, Anna, Rachel and Willie, for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Màiri Mhòr Nan Òran 20 March 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=I73k_yo4zT4&feature=youtu.be
Information on other Gaelic / Celtic events on both sides of the Atlantic can be found here in this excellent source and please subscribe to the relevant newsletters: https://americeltic.net