Rethinking Landscape, Environment, Place and Heritage in British Music Studies

‘Beyond Borders: A Global Maritime Perspective on British Music and Place’

British maritime song is often framed within nationalistic narratives, positioning it as part of a distinct British folk heritage. However, this perspective fails to account for the inherently global nature of seafaring cultures and the transnational exchange that shaped maritime musical traditions. This paper challenges land-based frameworks in British music studies by proposing a re-examination of maritime song through an oceanic lens – one that recognises the sea as its own unique space of cultural production, rather than merely a conduit between ports. Drawing on historical collections, sailors’ accounts, and musical analysis, I will explore how British maritime songs – particularly shanties – were shaped by international influences, multilingual exchanges, and shared occupational experiences that transcended national borders. Repositioning maritime song within an environmentdriven framework not only shifts our understanding of British musical heritage but also questions the concept…