Celebration Ode

6th August 1881 marked the inauguration of the James Watt Dock, to celebrate this momentous development and the future prosperity Greenock folk hoped it would guarantee, a special poem was composed. It shows a Greenock in fine form, bold, optimistic, forward thinking and confident. We think it captures the spirit of this campaign so far rather well...

A CELEBRATION ODE

Calm ye, ye winds and cease to pour

Ye clouds your burdens from your height

Let the bright sun shine on the hour

That marks an epoch in time’s flight

Truce to all feuds and petty frays

Ye scribblers with a ranc’rous pen

Drown ye your plaints in words of praise

For Greenock grit and Greenock men

Thus have we come by leaps and bounds

To hold the vantage nature gives

‘Spite the veiled darts of feigned friends

Let in be known that Greenock lives

Come rain or sun come foul or fair

Nothing shall daunt her enterprise

Still shall her sons in commerce dare

To greater heights of triumph rise

This one vast stride in progress’ way

Hath taught us well the lesson that

Here must  we raise this August day

A monument to glorious Watt

If you are a local band or performer, we would love to hear your versions and interpretations of Celebration Ode, all styles are welcome, punk, pop, dance, metal...go crazy. We don't mind how they are recorded from shaky mobile phone footage to garageband mp3s..we want to hear them all.

Here's all the recordings we have so far...magic

Celebration Ode 2011 by Sugar Sheds

Email us on keepsugarsheds@gmail.com if you are interested. Maybe we'll get a few of them performed in the sheds one day.