Wellerman – Resource Pack
By: Jake Alexander
This is a fun three-part arrangement of the sea shanty that went viral on social media in early 2021. The lyrics concern a whaling ship and its pursuit of a right whale, the “Wellerman” referring to the supply vessel sent out to dispense luxuries (“sugar and tea and rum”) to the tired crew. Quick disclaimer: in this version of the song, the whale gets away!
This resource pack also includes a very simple, one-page, abridged version of the score (alongside the relevant rehearsal tracks), which is ideal if you’re running workshops for inexperienced singers, or if you just want an easy win for your choir.
As with many arrangements I write, this song can be done using virtually any combination of singers. As indicated in the score, the parts can be taken down an octave if necessary. Directors of mixed choirs might also wish to create mixed voice parts that span an octave. Choir leaders know their choirs’ voices far better than arrangers, so it down to your discretion as to how you would like to organise your choir to sing this song. However, in an ideal world this is the configuration I would suggest, depending on the make up of your choir…
All women: voice 1 – soprano, voice 2 – soprano, voice 3 – alto
Women with a small number of men: voice 1 – soprano, voice 2 – alto, voice 3 – alto and tenor (at pitch)
Two thirds women / One third men: voice 1 – soprano, voice 2 – alto, voice 3 – tenor (at pitch)
An equal number of men and women: voice 1 – soprano and tenor (an octave lower), voice 2 – soprano and bass (an octave lower), voice 3 – alto and bass (an octave lower)
Two thirds men / One third women: voice 1 – soprano, voice 2 – bass (an octave lower), voice 3 – tenor (at pitch)
Men with a small number of women: voice 1 – soprano and tenor (an octave lower), voice 2 – bass (an octave lower), voice 3 – tenor (at pitch)
All men: voice 1 – tenor (an octave lower), voice 2 – bass (an octave lower), voice 3 – bass (an octave lower)
Rehearsal tracks performed by Eleanor Rastall (www.eleanorrastall.co.uk).
Reviews
Wellermann
The group love singing this song, it is jolly and good fun! It is also right for their current competency level.
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Copyright Jake Alexander 2023