Making music on the march: sledging songs of the ‘heroic age’ of Antarctic exploration

Abstract

During the so-called ‘heroic age’ of Antarctic exploration (c.1897–1922), various parties of men invented songs to aid the act of sledging and to provide a mental diversion from the monotony of the task and the physical demands it made on the human body. Songs composed in this uniquely polar musical genre typically included rhyming lyrics that were highly motivational and expressed a united identity. The lyrics were usually set to the melodies of popular songs of the day. When voiced in unison by men out ‘on the march,’ sledging songs could help to promote team synchronisation and cohesion, and give the act of sledging (as well as the expeditions as a whole) a stronger sense of purpose and meaning. The singing of such songs, therefore, contributed in a very practical way to the overall success of many Antarctic expeditions of the ‘heroic age’. This article examines three sledging songs dating from this period of Antarctic exploration and investigates the historical context in which they were created and performed. It also considers what these songs reveal about the experiences of the men who participated in the sledging journeys and their earliest perceptions of the Antarctic environment.

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“…This representation is informed by various cultural inputs, including diaries, literature, film, music, photography and theatre. Scholars such as Philpott & Leane (2016), Glasberg (2012) and Yusoff (2007) have examined representations of Antarctica across a range of media, teasing out the common associations and themes, including heroism, extremity, fragility and transformation. Berger (2005, p.166) explains how ‘in scholarly discourse about works of art of all kinds, the subjects of analysis are generally referred to as texts.’ In the Antarctic context, primary texts are also powerful; Robert Falcon Scott's diaries continue to capture imaginations, while Frank Hurley's iconic 1912 photograph of Mawson's men bent double as they battled the blizzard at Cape Dennison neatly encapsulates the idea of men taking on nature.…”

“…Most people will never actually visit Antarctica, so the imagined version of the place they carry in their minds is far more real for them than the actual ice. This representation is informed by various cultural inputs including diaries, literature, film, Philpott and Leane (2016), Glasberg (2012), and Yusoff (2007) have examined representations of Antarctica across a range of media, teasing out the common associations and themes including heroism, extremity, fragility, and transformation. Berger (2005, p.166) Such texts have helped to shape the Antarctic imaginary of the extreme that still persists today.…”