Quadriga Consort made a name for itself by playing new arrangements of traditional music from the British Isles on Renaissance and Baroque instruments, placing these ancient tunes in a new historic context – far from Celtic clichés and “pub sentimentality”. Their idea is to create a musical world in which there is no need or desire for musical categories such as light or serious, folk, popular or erudite.

For our programme Ships Ahoy!, we have sought out old British seamen’s music. Living on islands surrounded by the sea, the English, Scottish and Irish have always been fishermen, sailors, adventurers, explorers and merchants, trading with faraway places.

Countless wars were also fought at sea. Not only does Ships Ahoy! offer old sailor’s songs and shanties – intended to alleviate long and difficult journeys, it also offers an insight into the fascinating and often sombre myths and legends surrounding the vast oceans and their unfathomable depths.

‘I love the energy that the ensemble put into their recordings. [...] The instrumental work is superb. Don’t worry if you’re not keen on recorders: these are played so dexterously that they seem a long way from the simple melodies often associated with them.' - MusicWeb review

Contents:
- Òran na Maighdinn Mhara (The Mermaid's Song)
- The Ship in Distress
- Ships are Sailing
- The Coasts of High Barbary
- Boyne Water, Morrison's Jig
- Pulling the Sea-Dulse
- Twa Bonnie Maidens
- The Banks of Ireland
- The Forfeit of the Ship
- Sailor's Jacket
- Fishing for Eels
- The Fish of the Sea
- Captain James
- Fair Susan
- Captain Magan
- The Sailor Laddie
- Ailein duinn (Brown-haired Allen)
- Dinny Delaney
- Kitty Magennis
- An t-Oilean Úr
- The Greenland Whale Fishery
- The Saucy Sailor
- Cutting the Kelp
- The Cliffs of Doneen