Program notes provided by the composer:
A NAUTICAL FANTASIA was commissioned in 2005 by The Classical Roadshow, a UK organisation that presents 'immersive' live music events for children. The piece was scored for wind septet, which has now been expanded and reimagined for full Wind Band by Paul Noble. The Fantasia opens with a rousing fanfare, leading to The Arethusa, one of the most familiar shanties, referring to a famous 18th century British naval ship. This then links to A-Roving, with the typical structure of a 'work' shanty, followed by the timpani leading us into The Mermaid, a song particularly well-known in the US (but with a very different melody). The tale of a ship sighting a Mermaid and subsequently running into bad luck is echoed in the rather turbulent accompaniment in the central section. As the sea gradually calms down, we hear a soulful ballad Stormalong, referring to 'Stormy', the traditional 'sailor's sailor'. The melody comes to rest on a sustained F# open 5th, while a mournful melody in the unrelated key of G major, introduced by a solo flute, floats in over the top. This is taken up by other instruments, still over unresolved harmony, until a climax leads to a forceful and confident version of the tune, We be Three Poor Mariners. This again slowly subsides over fragments of the melody and a change of key, leading to The Lass That Loves A Sailor, an infectiously jolly tune, that must have accompanied some lively dancing. At the end, the music accelerates into I am a Brisk and Sprightly Lad, another irresistible dancing melody, which soon leads to the well-known work song Hullabaloo Balay. Towards the end the music becomes more restless, and the Piccolo plays Billy Boy (a northern English folk song) as the mood changes as a storm approaches. This soon bursts upon the ship, with gales, thunder and lightning leading us into The Bay of Biscay, a notoriously stormy area of the north-eastern Atlantic, off the west coast of France. Having passed through the storm, the sailors sing a more forceful and triumphant repeat of the song, and after a climax the opening fanfare returns, this time in a much-slowed-down version reflecting the sailors' joyful relief as the ship enters their home port.