Grade 1.
Arranged for TTBB choir.
“A DROP OF NELSON’S BLOOD” is a traditional British sea shanty that became popular among Royal Navy sailors during the nineteenth century. Its title refers to the colourful legend that, following the death of Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, his body was preserved in a cask of spirits for the voyage home, giving rise to the sailors’ tongue-in-cheek claim that they had sampled “a drop of Nelson’s blood.” Although the story has become part of maritime folklore, the song itself celebrates the camaraderie, humour, and resilience of life at sea. This arrangement for TTBB choir captures the robust spirit of the traditional shanty while remaining accessible to ensembles of developing singers.
