Update – SEPT 2025
Sorry for the ramshackle website that this has become. I’ll get around to tidying it up one day, with revised menus and stuff.
I’ve left the fabulous a-capella choir Dartmouth Rock due to a change in personal circumstances. It was a great time for me, some nine years of singing and contributing with new arrangements and learning tracks. I even created a video of the song ‘Lean On Me’ during lock-down to keep our spirits up.
The new leader of Dartmouth Rock is taking them forward from strength to strength and I wish them every success.
My web logo still stands, give us the dots and I’ll dash out a demo.
I’ve taken to singing at Open Mics, most usually at the King’s Arms in Strete, the third Thusday in the month.
I’ve also joined local Shanty Crew, The Dartmouth Dancing Beggars.
The Dancing Beggars sing regularly in The Shambles, pub extrordinaire, in Dartmouth
I’ve sung with The Dancing Beggars at a number of gigs this year, including Dartmouth Music Festival (Dartmouth Yacht Club) and aboard HMS Cattistock, Brixham Pirate Festival, The King’s Arms, Strete, and at Brittania Royal Naval College’s open day. Check out the Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569376521860
I’m Still looking for a local theatre company to take on the Dartmouth Mayflower400 musical play Safe Haven which I co-wrote. Drop me a line or find me at local haunts around town.
Latest brand new song! – is now so Last Year! October 2024, time flies…
The Man In The Moon (Twice Daily)
VERSE 1
The Man in the Moon keeps/ turning the/ tide
Just churning the/ milk some/ folk have/ implied
But/ that is not/ all – for he/ brings to the/ seas
Much/ more to his churning than/ making the/ cheese
CHORUS 1
Haul away! –/ heave a/way, though
The Man in the/ Moon works for/ you – / Twice daily
Haul away! –/ heave a/way
You *Fishers have/ still work to /do
VERSE 2
(oh) The/ Man in the Moon keeps/ turning the/ tide
It moves up and/ down and we’re/ all mysti/fied
By the/ wonder it/ brings to all/ manner of/ things
Mar/ine life and fishes and/ things that have/ wings
CHORUS 2 Haul away! etc > last line: You *Crabbers have/ still work to /do
VERSE 3
(oh) The/ Man in the Moon keeps/ turning the/ tide
We sail and we/ surf but it’s/ not just the/ ride
There’s/ plenty more/ ways to make/ use of the/ sea
From its/ ti~dal range draw el/lectrici/ty
CHORUS 3 Haul away! etc > last line: *An Engineer’s/ calling for/ you
VERSE 4
(oh)The /Man in the Moon keeps/ turning the/ tide
(It) Comes in and goes/ out with/ power unde/nied
What/ever our/ leaders would/ will theirs to/ be
As/ King Cnut said, you/ can’t stop the/ sea!
CHORUS 4 Haul away! etc > last line: You *Leaders have/ still work to /do
VERSE 5 = VERSE 1 (oh) The Man in the Moon etc
CHORUS 5 Haul away! etc > last line extended:
You *Fishers and Crabbers,/Drifters and Draggers,
Shrimpers and Spinners, and/ Life-boating skimmers
Rod/liners and Trollers, Molly Maloners and/ Go it aloners………
Marine Biolers / diving below us
Lighthouse preservers and/ Fish stock conservers,
Engineers, Auctioneers, Packers and Shippers
E/conomists, Politicians and Governments too!..
You/ All have/ still work to/ do!
While the Man In The/ Moon works for/ you…./Twice Dai/ly!
Copyright © 2024 Derek Parsons All Rights Reserved
Why I wrote this song:
Do you remember Max Boyce, the Welsh Comic, songwriter and performer who wrote wonderfully funny songs, mostly around his experiences as a supporter of Welsh Rugby and the demise of Welsh coal mining? He also wrote 'Morgan The Moon', the little known story of the Welsh Moon-shot. And that on his arrival, Morgan confirmed that the moon is indeed made of cheese – Caerphilly - of course!
In the week of writing this song, the last coal fired power station in the UK closed down, bringing to an end to some 140 years of burning coal to make electricity in the country. Before that, wind and water mills were the main source of industrial power.
In Dartmouth, Foss Street was the dam which formed a tidal lake which drove a mill.
UK power sources are now primarily wind, solar and nuclear. This is despite being an island surrounded by seas with among the highest tidal ranges in the world. Successive UK governments have, so far, failed to grasp the idea that green energy can be readily produced by turning that potential energy into electricity, using currently available technology. That is, setting propeller-like turbines into a harbour wall structure, either in a shore to shore arc to form sea lagoons, or a barrage across an estuary. The idea is to use the rise and fall of the tide to drive the turbines to make electricity. It's not rocket science – there's a Tidal Barrage near St Malo in France, called La Rance, run by EDF, that's been in commission since the 1960's.
Also this week, this year's new government announced that the headquarters of an initiative called 'British Energy' will be based in Aberdeen, Scotland, because of its links to the oil industry, which is clearly the best location to centre the UK's non-fossil fuel energy management and development. Really?? So it's not looking good for Lunar Power going forward, is it?
However, I gather that moves are afoot to look at the idea again – there are proposals for one at Liverpool and to put the ill-fated Swansea Bay scheme back on the table, and also a Government Commission to review the Severn Barrage – yet again, but I doubt if I'll see that one happen in my lifetime. But they might yet get round to building tidal lagoons in Cardiff and Bridgewater Bays at some point. The biggest issue for tidal range power is financing the up-front cost of building the sea walls; but once built they're there forever, if properly maintained.
So in writing this song mainly for in-shore Fishers & Crabbers, I've included a light hearted jibe at our failure to exploit the rise and fall of the tide to produce green electricity. The utility and security of what I call 'Lunar Power' to the electricity grid is its predictability. The tide comes in and out twice daily (who knew that?) whatever the weather. And, whatever our leaders would will theirs to be, as King Cnut said, You cant' stop the sea!
Join in choruses, and listen out for the last line changes.
October 2024
Even Older news…
For ‘So Many Heroes’ singles, scroll down to ATLANTIC WALL Musical
And/or see menu tab Want to use ‘So Many Heroes’ Anthem for a fund raiser? for details.
Seymour Studio in Dartmouth, Devon UK is the home of Sandquay (pronounced ‘Sankey’, or ‘Sanki’ by us locals) where the magic of creating demo audio tracks from music notation happens…
…including where some of the bespoke vocal learning tracks for the A Capella ‘Dartmouth Rock‘ are created. Click on this Link to how we look and sound on the Motown Medley.
A Warm Welcome To Devon (Next year) – Covid-19 related lyrics to music ‘borrowed with pride’ from the musical play SAFE HAVEN, written for the Dartmouth Mayflower400 commemorations, currently on-hold.
Pause before listening to other tracks/media that open in new tabs.
Dartmouth Mayflower400 and SAFE HAVEN and ‘No Going Back‘ single
‘SAFE HAVEN’ is a musical play co-written by Dartmouth residents Keith Myerson and Derek Parsons (aka ‘Sandquay’) especially to commemorate Dartmouth’s little known but significant part in the voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers in the Mayflower and Speedwell to America in 1620. The Speedwell didn’t make it, despite repairs here in Dartmouth, and was forced to turn back to Plymouth. To find out what happened, you need to see the show, but, due to the pandemic, when we’ll be able to put it on we don’t know!
‘No Going Back – Mayflower Pilgrim’s Shanty‘ is Derek’s a-capella version of song number 7 in SAFE HAVEN. It has been released as a single under his artist name ‘Sandquay‘, to coincide the Mayflower’s November arrival in America in 1620. Check it out at sandquay.hearnow.com (tip: Apple & iTunes have a longer preview).
Downloaders & Streamers from iTunes & Spotify etc who search for Sandquay.com, or Sandquay.online are redirected to this website (there being no point in having multiple websites atm). Derek vocalized all the parts for this studio recording. A live version had its world premiere by our men of ‘Dartmouth Rock’ way back in December 2019 – here’s a YouTube link. Covid came & we’ve not had a chance to improve our performance over enthusiasm since; but enjoy!
Safe Haven is featured on the Dartmouth Mayflower400 website on their project list. And, if you dig deeper, it gets another mention under the ‘Children Of The Mayflower‘ film project commissioned by Marilyn Bird. The film sound track was written and produced by Derek. The song (not the film) ‘To America‘ is about the four ‘More’ children taken from their mother by her angry husband (who didn’t think they were his) and handed over to the Separatists for transporting to America. Use this site’s MENU or click here for more on our musical play ‘SAFE HAVEN’. Check out this link for our Dartmouth Mayflower400 River parade in 2021. Look out for Keith, awarded winner of ‘best salute’.
So for now, here’s a Teaser with seven of the eleven song demos… and another Teaser with clips of all eleven song demos for completeness – enjoy!
AND… this is where we are hosting downloadable rehearsal tracks for ‘SAFE HAVEN‘ for its production team! (Password needed – sorry, authorised folk only.) Navigate the Menu and click highlighted Song notes and narrative or Downloads for these items for which you’ll need the password.
ATLANTIC WALL Musical and ‘So Many Heroes’ singles
In 2020 we commemorated the 75th anniversary of VE day, and the theme song ‘My Hero’ from ‘ATLANTIC WALL’ is somehow doubly poignant as we continue to deal with the Covid-19 Pandemic, and most recently Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (and indeed other on-going conflicts today). New words have been specially written for this anthemic tune, with the titles tweaked to:
‘So Many Heroes -Tribute to Bearers, Carers and Curers’ for Covid-19 pandemic’ ;
and
‘So Many Heroes – Lament To War and Oppression’ for the tyrannical attempts to subjugate the peoples of Ukraine, Myanmar and Syria.
If you’d like to use either of these tracks as a fund-raiser to help fund the defeat of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects or help the peoples of Ukraine / Myanmar (Rohingya) / Syria e.g. by supporting UNHCR, then I’d be happy to help you. See menu tab Want to use ‘So Many Heroes’ Anthem for a fund raiser? for details.
Pause before listening to other tracks/media that open in new tabs.