Bounding Main is an American a cappella

quintet A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...

focusing on traditional

sea shanties A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional Folk music, folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large Merchant vessel, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessels. The term ''shanty ...

and maritime music. Formed in 2003, Bounding Main performs maritime music, presenting an "Elizabethan sea dog" look in their costumes and gear as well as informal looks that represents them as a contemporary vocal group. They perform traditional sea shanties and nautical ballads from as far back as 400 years ago, as well as new maritime music, and original compositions. Bounding Main attempts to introduce historical music and structure in a way that appeals to listeners who might otherwise consider it "old-fashioned" through the use of harmony-focused arrangements agreeable to the modern ear and attention span. The group has won awards for their performances at renaissance festivals, and they have taken several international tours, bringing their music to popular shanty festivals in locations such as Germany, Netherlands, Poland, France, England, and Canada. Their music has been preserved in the British Library's Sound Archive. Their fan club is known as the ''Bounding Mainiacs''.

History

Dean Calin reached out to veteran environmental theater performers, Christie Dalby, Gina Dalby, Jon Krivitzky, David Yondorf, and Maggie Hannington, inquiring if they wanted to join together to sing maritime music. The group met for rehearsal for the first time on January 19, 2003. From 2003 through early 2010, the group had six members. In mid-2010, the group began performing as a quintet when Maggie Hannington retired from the group to make time for her family. In 2023, the group began performing as a quartet following the death of original member, David Yondorf, on May 17, 2023, following a brief battle with cancer. As the original performers were vocalists, and traditional sea shanties were often performed a cappella, the group decided to perform their music a cappella with minimal percussion for some songs. The group originally collaborated with instrumentalists on their first CD, ''Maiden Voyage'', but since then have elected to mainly produce a capella tracks. Bounding Main has performed at maritime museums, maritime music festivals, including the

Chicago Maritime Festival The Chicago Maritime Festival is a maritime music and culture festival held in Chicago, Illinois, every winter, usually the last weekend in February, usually at the Chicago History Museum. It is not uncommon for over 500 people to participate. I ...

, tall ship festivals, harbor festivals, arts festivals, pirate festivals,

renaissance faires A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent the ...

, wooden boat shows, corporate events and private parties. Additionally, the group has performed at international music festivals in Canada and in Europe. Bounding Main has produced six CDs: ''Maiden Voyage'', ''Lost at Sea'', ''Going Overboard'', ''Operation Share the Shanties'', ''Kraken Up'', and ''Fish Out of Water''. ''Going Overboard'' was favorably reviewed in

Dirty Linen ''Dirty Linen'' was a bi-monthly magazine of folk and world music based in Baltimore, Maryland. The magazine ceased publication in the spring of 2010. The magazine offered extensive reviews of folk music recordings, videos, books, and concer ...

magazine in 2010.

International Tours

August 2008

Bounding Main's first performance in Europe was at the Festival Maritim in

Bremen-Vegesack Vegesack is a northern district of the city of Bremen. Geography ''Vegesack'' is located about north from the centre of Bremen-city at the mouth of the river Lesum, beside the river Weser (). Abutting the district of Vegesack to the northwest is ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

in August 2008. They were one of only four bands from the USA to be represented at this festival between 2002 and 2009. Festival Maritim, which started in 1999, attracts high quality, professional bands and choirs from all over Europe and the world. While in Germany for this festival, the group also performed at other locations in

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Nether ...

and Germany, most notably a charity performance to entertain US troops recovering at

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), also known as Landstuhl Hospital, is a U.S. Army medical center, located in the German town of Landstuhl, near Ramstein Air Base. The installation is an amalgamation of Marceau Kaserne (german: Inf ...

in Landstuhl, Germany.

October 2008

Six weeks later, the group embarked upon their second overseas trip, traveling to The Netherlands for the Liereliet Festival. Based in

Workum Workum () is a city located in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân in Friesland, Netherlands. It received city rights in 1399 and is one of the eleven cities of Friesland. It had a population of 4,435 in January 2017.Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

. This popular shanty festival has become one of the most important in the world since its founding in 1981.

August 2011

In August 2011 Bounding Main again traveled to The Netherlands and performed at the 10th anniversary of the "Bie Daip International Shanty Festival" in

Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...

, Netherlands.

August 2012

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, was the site of Bounding Main's next tour, where they performed at the "La Fête des chants de marins" in

Saint-Jean-Port-Joli Saint-Jean-Port-Joli is a village in the Regional County Municipality of L'Islet within the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River and is the county seat. The village is locate ...

. This festival, which attracts as many as 20,000 visitors in a year, highlights the maritime culture and local heritage of the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

area.

August 2013

Paimpol Paimpol (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwest France. It is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months when people are attracted by its port and beaches. Geography The town is located in t ...

, in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...

, north-west

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, was the site of Bounding Main's 2013 tour, where they performed at the "Festival du Chants de Marin de Paimpol". This event, in the French region of Brittany, brings in world-class performers from all points of the compass. The festival regularly attracts enthusiastic audiences of more than 130,000 people.

August 2014

In August 2014, Bounding Main again traveled to the Netherlands and performed at the "Bie Daip International Shanty Festival" in Appingedam, Netherlands. They then traveled to Germany to perform at the "Hafenfest Papenburg" festival in Papenburg, Germany.

August/September 2016

In August/September 2016, Bounding Main will travel to the Netherlands to perform at the "Bie Daip International Shanty Festival" in Appingedam, Netherlands. This will be the third time Bounding Main has performed at this festival. They will then travel to Germany to perform at the "Hafenfest Papenburg" festival in Papenburg, Germany. This will be their second appearance at this festival.

June 2017

In June 2017, Bounding Main will travel to Cornwall, U.K., to perform at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. They will then travel to the Netherlands to perform at the International Folk & Shanty Festival in Giethoorn, Netherlands. This will be the first appearance for Bounding Main at each of these festivals.

August 2019

, in

, north-west

, was the site of Bounding Main's 2019 tour, where they performed at the "Festival du Chants de Marin de Paimpol". This event, in the French region of Brittany, brings in world-class performers from all points of the compass. This was the festival's 30th anniversary, titled "Best of", and was Bounding Main's second appearance at the festival. Their music was included on the festival CD, "Festival du Chant de Marin Gouel Kan Ar Vartoloded".

February 2020

In February 2020, Bounding Main performed at the International Sailors' Song Festival, "Shanties 2020" in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...

. This marked Bounding Main's second appearance at this popular shanty festival. Bounding Main was the recipient of the "Hat of Krakow" award. Additionally, Christie Dalby and Gina Dalby were honored with the "Figurehead 2020" award at this festival.

February 2021

In February 2021, Bounding Main was asked to participate in the 40th anniversary of the International Sailors' Song Festival, "Shanties 2021". Their music was broadcast on Friday, February 26, 2021, from

. The annual festival was moved to a virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Museums

Bounding Main's music has been presented at the following museums as a representation of either maritime or pirate music. * Door County Maritime Museum - Pirates - Ship to Shore exhibit *

Wisconsin Maritime Museum The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is a maritime museum in the Lake Michigan port and shipbuilding city of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, U.S.. It preserves and teaches about the maritime history of the Great Lakes and Wisconsin. History The museum was foun ...

- River Rendezvous, Submarine Fest 2015, Submarine Fest 2016 * Oshkosh Public Museum - Pirates Exhibit * Kenosha History Center - Southport Lighthouse Festival *

Chicago History Museum Chicago History Museum is the museum of the Chicago Historical Society (CHS). The CHS was founded in 1856 to study and interpret Chicago's history. The museum has been located in Lincoln Park since the 1930s at 1601 North Clark Street at the in ...

- Chicago Maritime Festival *

Mystic Seaport Mystic Seaport Museum or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats and for the re-creation of the craf ...

museum - Neptune's Orchestra: Songs of the Seafarer exhibit *

Milwaukee Public Museum The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is a natural and human history museum in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884; it is a not-for-profit organization operated by the Milwaukee Public Mus ...

- Real Pirates exhibit Additionally, their music is part of NRG's traveling "Treasure" exhibit.

Honors and awards

# "Renaissance Festival Podcast" Best Music Groups of 2006 (placed 4th) # "Renaissance Festival Podcast" Best Music Groups of 2007 (placed 4th) # "Renaissance Festival Podcast" Best Music Groups of 2008 (placed 4th) # "Renaissance Festival Podcast" Best New CD Released in 2011 (placed 3rd for ''Kraken Up'') # "Renaissance Festival Awards" Stage Shows - Best Musical Group (non-comedy performance) (placed 4th); Best Comedy-Musical Show (placed 3rd) - 2013 # Constant Contact "All Star Award": 2012, 2013, and 2015 # British Library's Sound Archive: Selected by the British Library for preservation in their sound archive. Full live performance recorded at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, June 2017. # "Renaissance Festival Awards" Large Musical Acapella Stage Acts - 2019 (placed 3rd) #"Hat of Krakow" Award, Shanties 2020 Festival, Krakow, Poland, February 2020 #"Figurehead 2020" Award, Shanties 2020 Festival, Krakow, Poland, February 2020 #"Renaissance Festival Awards" Large Music Acapella or Instrumental Stage Act - 2021 (placed 2nd) #"Renaissance Festival Awards" Favorite A Capella Musical Stage Act - 2022 (placed 2nd)

Articles/Publications

* Profiled in ''Magazyn Miłośników Kultury Morza Shantyman,'' "Bounding Main USA"'','' January 2020. *Profiled in ''Door County Pulse'', "A Cappella Group Recorded by the British Library", February 9, 2018. *Profiled in ''Ozaukee Magazine'', "5 Questions With Bounding Main", June 30, 2014. *Profiled in ''Door County Now,'' "Holiday's Lawn Concert Series kicks off", May 23, 2012. *Profiled in ''Weser Report, "''Die Welt trifft sich in Vegesack''",'' August 10, 2008''.'' *Profiled in ''Die Norddeutsch,'' "Stelldichein der Shanty-Fans", August 10, 2008''.'' *Profiled in Renaissance Magazine, "Bounding Main", August 15, 2007. *Profiled in ''Grayslake Times,'' "Off the Beaten Shore; Maritime Group Celebrates Life Through Song", February 17–23, 2006. *Profiled in ''On Milwaukee.com,'' "Bounding Main revives maritime music for a new generation", February, 2006. *Referenced in "Worth the Singin' - the Tom Lewis Songbook, 10th Anniversary Edition", by Tom Lewis. *Referenced in "My World of Shanties or Everything you wanted to know about shanties but never dared to ask" by Fred Winkel.

Discography

Bounding Main has produced six albums: Additionally, some of Bounding Main's songs appear on other CDs: * "High Barbaree": ''Lafitte's Return Vol. 2'', produced by Bob Brinkman for Pirates for the Preservation of New Orleans Music, 2007. * "High Barbaree": ''Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation CD'', produced by Marc Gunn, 2008. * "Derelict": ''Lafitte's Return Vol. 3'', produced by Bob Brinkman for Pirates for the Preservation of New Orleans Music, 2008. * "Blow Liza Blow": ''Lafitte's Return Vol. 4'', produced by Bob Brinkman for Pirates for the Preservation of New Orleans Music, 2008. * "Blow Liza Blow": ''Goin' Back Home Vol. 3'', produced by Quickstar Productions, 2009. * "The Day of the Clipper": ''Score'', performed with and produced by The Jolly Rogers, 2010. * "Dogger Bank": ''"Bie Daip" Appingedam 10 jaar International Shanty Festival'', produced by Bie Daip International Shanty Festival, 2011. * "Away Rio": ''Beg, Borrow and Steal'', performed with and produced by The Jolly Rogers, 2012. * "Sugar in the Hold": ''Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival 2017 CD,'' produced by the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival, 2017. *"Sugar in the Hold": ''Festival du Chant de Marin Gouel Kan Ar Vartoloded (2019),'' produced by coop breizh, 2019.

Soundtracks

Bounding Main's music has been included in the following soundtracks: * ''The Polar Sea''; Documentary by The Ontario Educational Communications Authority. "Northwest Passage" from the album ''Lost at Sea''. * ''Flotsam''; Short Film by Noel Goodwin (screened at London Short Film Festival). "Mingulay Boat Song" from the album ''Maiden Voyage''.

References

External links

Bounding Main websitePreview clip of "Discover Wisconsin" featuring Bounding Main in an episode highlighting Sturgeon Bay
* ttp://www.boundingmain.com/pdf/2006/DirtyLinenReview_Issue24_June-July06.pdf Dirty Linen review of Bounding Main CD "Lost at Sea" {{Authority control A cappella musical groups Renaissance fair performers Maritime music Bounding Main albums 2004 albums 2011 albums