Thomas P Simmonds was inspired to create and perform this song to celebrate the life of Cutty Sark. This video was created using footage from the restoration project.
He writes:
Through the 1970s and 1980s I, like most kids who had romanticised views of maritime living, first explored the decks of Cutty Sark in the form of plastic model kits. Although the reality of life on a tall ship bears little resemblance to the visions most children have, one cannot help but conclude that Cutty sark and many vessels like her, are things of grace and beauty.
Putting aside those thoughts and being pulled towards popular music in my adolescence knowledge of the ship was relegated to a few pieces in a scrapbook that has been lost through the years. Occasional news items about the fabled “last clipper” would reach my attention and give me reason to read further into its history.
Sadly the next stream of information that reached my attention was that of the fire. Over the next few days snippets of ‘how extensive the damage is’ and ‘can she be restored?’ were actively sought on PC’s at home and in my places of employment. It took a few days for the reality to sink in that I would never get a chance to visit the ship as she once was but somehow I found release in a little tune which was composed and edited over a few evenings.
In May 2007, in the course of playing it for a few colleagues and friends, my path eventually crossed with that of Mariide and things got delightfully interesting. During one of our meetings a discussion of the song led to my playing it for her and her encouragement, plus years of self-entertainment merged with a childhood preoccupation and I stepped into a sound studio for the first time; what you hear is the end result. Her concertina track was not only requested but also, listening to it now, it seems an essential integral part of the tune.
Many thanks are owed to her as well as to Randy Shapiro for handling the technical work behind the glass and Jimmy Free Studios for the use of their facility in Seattle. Thanks also to my beloved wife Lisa for putting up with many evenings of tune-smithing.
It is my hope that this work will, as it is intended to, assist in the restoration of this beautiful ship
Thomas P Simmons – 2007
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