“Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is done and the winds do blow
And it’s time for us to leave her”
A group of Irish singers from Westport, Mayo, Ireland have an incredible recording of the sea shanty, “Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her” which is definitely worth the listen. While the video is a couple years old now, the rich blending of these men’s voices has a timeless beauty.
According to their website, codasinging.com, they started out after they decided they wanted to try something different than the choral singing they’d all been doing.
They’ve definitely branched out from there, as they have gone on to sing both traditional Celtic music and contemporary folk songs, as well as music from North America. They’ve even performed songs from the Beatles! Their 7-part harmony is sometimes accompanied with traditional instruments and sometimes remains a capella.
This video is a seemingly simple a capella arrangement, but the talented voices of these singer make it a treat to listen to. The song is both rich and haunting, and it’s almost surprising to realize that they’re simply sitting around a table instead of on stage in concert.