Ted Walker, official Titanic Artist, "The Maiden Voyage"
Titanic Remembrance Day
Apr 15
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea."
~ Lawrence Beesley, Titanic survivor, referring to the eight-member band led by Wallace Hartley
Beware of icebergs or spilled ice cubes while during this jig! The first 4 bars of this remembrance tribute dance represent the four funnels of the ship and the next 4 bars represent the "star" of the White Star Line, under which the ill-fated Titanic sailed. When the RMS Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City on the 10th of April, 1912, it wasn't just the largest ship to sail the seas that drew attention, but also its promise of unparalleled elegance and entertainment. Among the ship’s luxurious offerings were a talented ensemble of musicians, led by the violinist Wallace Hartley, who amused the passengers with a range of styles, from ragtime to the classical waltzes. Their performances were not confined to a single location; the band played in the first-class lounge, the second-class dining room, and even on the deck! As the Titanic sailed towards her fateful encounter with the iceberg, the musicians' role shifted from entertainers to heroes. On that chilling night, as the ship met its tragic end, the band famously played on. Their final number, "Nearer, My God, to Thee," remains emblematic of their resolve and their soothing presence amidst chaos! 🎶 🎻 🎷 🎹 🥁 🚢
The Titanic
Considered to be the greatest maritime disaster of modern times, the RMS Titanic sank this day in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.
The wreck of Titanic was discovered in 1985 (more than 70 years after the disaster) during a US military mission, and it remains on the seabed. The ship was split in two and is gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12,415 feet (3,784 m). Thousands of artefacts have been recovered and displayed at museums around the world. Titanic has become one of the most famous ships in history; her memory is kept alive by numerous works of popular culture, including books, folk songs, films, exhibits, and memorials.
Many myths and legends are associated with the Titanic. Several incredible literary foreshadowings have been noted. The first has to do with the 1 May 1912 issue of The Popular Magazine, an American pulp magazine, which was already on the news stands at the time of the sinking. It contained the short story "The White Ghost of Disaster," which described the collision of an ocean liner with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean, the sinking of the vessel, and the fate of the passengers. The story, by Mayn Clew Garnett (the pseudonym of sea-story author T. Jenkins Hains), created a minor sensation.
And in 1898, fourteen years prior to the Titanic disaster, Morgan Robertson wrote a book called Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan. This story features an enormous British passenger liner called the Titan, which, deemed to be unsinkable, carries insufficient lifeboats. On an April voyage, the Titan hits an iceberg and sinks in the North Atlantic with the loss of almost everyone on board!
For more on Titanic Artist, Ted Walker, and his spooky memory of a painting that he was working on that flipped on its side when he was out of the room, click the advertising poster for the White Star's new luxury liner, The Titanic!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
