Laura Alexandrine Smith Explained

Laura Alexandrine Smith
Birth Date:	1861
Birth Place:	Newcastle upon Tyne
Death Date:	1902
Death Place:	Whitechapel, London
Resting Place:	Hampstead, London
Occupation:	Ethnomusicologist, musician, folk song collector, journalist
Notable Works:	The Music of the Waters: A collection of the sailors' chanties, or working songs of the sea, of all maritime nations. Boatmen's, fishermen's, and rowing songs, and water legends

Laura Alexandrine Smith (1861–1902)^[1] was an English musician,^[2] ethnomusicologist^[3] and one of the earliest collectors of sea shanties.^[4] Smith's The Music of the Waters, published in 1888, was possibly the first collection of sea shanties to include music as well as words.^[5]

Life

Laura Alexandrine Smith was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1861.^[6] Her father was the Russian vice-consul.

In 1888, Smith published The Music of the Waters: a Collection of the Sailors' Chanties, or Working Songs of the Sea, of All Maritime Nations; Boatmen's, Fishermen's, and Rowing Songs, and Water Legends. She had been commissioned by the editor of The Shipping World, and was described as: 'A thorough musician, a pleasing writer, and full of enthusiasm', and thus, 'specially fitted for the work'. The collection was of 'chanties', or working songs, rather than songs sung of the sea by those living and working on the land. These latter, Smith dismissed as tales of 'impossible ships in impracticable positions', where her working songs were sung to 'the booming double bass of the hollow topsails, and the multitudinous chorus of the ocean.' The collection was introduced by R. M. Ballantyne.^[7]

Following the success of Music of the Waters, Smith tried in the 1890s to compile a volume of soldiers' songs, 'at a time when the protests about vanishing army music hung heavily in the air'.^[8] She requested contributions in Notes and Queries, but received a disappointing lack of replies. A subsequent collection by John Farmer managed to gather thirteen.

In 1893, Smith sat on the advisory council of the women's branch of the World's Congress on Folk-lore.^[9]

Laura Alexandrine Smith died on 7 June 1902 in Whitechapel, London.^[10]

Bibliography

• Music of the Waters: a Collection of the Sailors' Chanties, or Working Songs of the Sea, of All Maritime Nations; Boatmen's, Fishermen's, and Rowing Songs, and Water Legends (1888)^[11]
• 'Romany Songs' in Woman's World, Vol. 2, No. 3 (January 1889)
• Through Romany Songland (1889)
• The Crystal City under the Sea by André Laurie, translated from the French by Laura Alexandrine Smith (1896)
• 'Workers' Songs' in Nineteenth Century (August 1898)

External links

• Works by Laura Alexandrine Smith at the Internet Archive
• Works by Laura Alexandrine Smith at HathiTrust
• Works by Laura Alexandrine Smith at WorldCat

Notes and References

1. Web site: Laura Alexandrine Smith (Unknown-1902). 2021-02-03. www.findagrave.com. en.
2. 21 February 1889. The Music of the Waters. Forest and Stream. 32. 5. 100.
3. Web site: The Music of the Waters: A Collection of Sea Shanties (1888). 2021-02-03. The Public Domain Review. en.
4. Book: Hugill, Stan. Shanties and sailors' songs. 1969. New York, F. A. Praeger. Internet Archive.
5. Web site: Kate. 2018-02-02. 'Impossible ships in impracticable positions' : Sea songs at the UL. 2021-02-03. MusiCB3 Blog. en.
6. Web site: England & Wales Births 1837-2006. 2021-02-03. www.findmypast.co.uk.
7. Book: Smith, Laura Alexandrine. The music of the waters. A collection of the sailors' chanties, or working songs of the sea, of all maritime nations. Boatmen's, fishermen's, and rowing songs, and water legends. 1888. London, Kegan Paul, French & Co.. Cornell University Library.
8. Book: Winstock, Lewis S.. Songs & music of the redcoats: a history of the war music of the British Army, 1642-1902. 1970. London, Leo Cooper Ltd.. Internet Archive. 978-0-85052-003-3.
9. Book: International Folk-lore Congress (3rd : 1893 : Chicago). The International folk-lore congress of the World's Columbian exposition, Chicago, July, 1893 ... Bassett. Helen Wheeler. Starr. Frederick. 1898. Chicago : Charles H. Sergel company. Cornell University Library.
10. Web site: England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019. 2021-02-03. www.findmypast.co.uk.
11. Web site: Smith, Laura Alexandrine - The Music of the waters : a collection of the sailors chanties or working songs of the sea, of all maritime nations, boatmens, fishermens, and rowing songs, and water legends / by Laura Alexandrine Smith.. 2021-02-03. www.rct.uk. en.