Batten Down The Hatches

Description

“Batten Down the Hatches” is a nautical phrase which means: prepare for trouble. The term dates back to 1769 in An Universal Dictionary of the Marine by Scottish poet and sailor, William Falconer (1732-ca. 1770). At that time, most sailing ships had cargo holds that opened to the deck via hatches, sometimes called hatchways. These were usually left open (or covered by a grate) for ventilation. When the sea became rough or bad weather was spotted on the horizon, the captain would call out this expression. The hatches were then covered with tarpaulins made from canvas. This was to protect the cargo and to prevent the hold from becoming filled with seawater or rain. The tarpaulins were held down with strips of wood, called battens, to try to prevent everything from blowing away.

This piece, scored for a trio of two oboes and a cor Anglais, is programmatic music about a storm at sea. First, you will hear evocations of dense fog, and then calm waves that gradually start to sound ominous. After this, the fog thickens again and, this time, it is much worse. A quickly-approaching storm is sighted and it is time to batten down the hatches. As the ship’s crew hastily races around preparing, the music becomes urgent, gradually increasing in intensity. Loss of life is a sad reality for people at sea,and, in one of the more frenetic parts, I quote part of the 13th century plainchant, Dies irae, to symbolize death. The storm is described using dissonances and tritones, and, at its height, you will hear harsh multiphonics. Unfortunately, the ship submits to the assault and sinks, with gradually descending chromatic notes. Those who survived are rescued from their lifeboats and go onto another vessel. Now, they hold a funeral for the dead. Immediately after the funeral music, a boisterous wake is held, with much drinking and dancing, and I quote the much-loved Sailor’s Hornpipe. The partying ends and the music returns to thoughtful waves, as the survivors sail home, contemplating their next voyage.   Beverly Lewis, 2026