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Writer's pictureTony Parker NESC

Shackleton Music: Winter on the Ice


Hi there,

This next track is all about Winter on the ice. Wintering Over.


The Endurance by Frank Hurley "taken during the Polar night"
The Endurance by Frank Hurley "taken during the Polar night"

Shackleton Music Winter:

When I began this project, I had a song ready for this part of the story called “Just Another Day.”


Dusting Off the Past:

I pulled out that old track, reworking it to fit this Shackleton Music series. The mood, the lyrics, and everything seemed spot on to capture how the days blurred together, each feeling just like the last. But sometimes, despite everything lining up on paper, it’s like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. No matter how much I tweaked it, something didn’t click. I finally surrendered to the fact I need to start this one againt - a fresh.


That realisation hit me hard, it’s a reminder that I’m fully immersed in this project now. I don’t have the next track sitting in my back pocket; it hasn’t even been written yet. The pressure is different when you’re not just creating music, but shaping the story in real-time.


A New Direction:

Then, out of nowhere, inspiration struck. While strumming on the guitar on the chords, A and D major, chatting with my son, I thought, this sounds interesting and I can easily talk over this this sound. It sounds sombre and atmospheric, the perfect fit for this "wintering over" chapter of the Shackleton journey. The rest of the song flowed naturally from there.


Shackleton and the crew playing football on the ice
Shackleton and the crew playing football on the ice

“Wintering Over”:

“Wintering Over” will be the sixth track. It’s layered with quotes from Shackleton’s book "South", capturing those long, dark days on the ice, complete with ambient sounds of the crew braving the Antarctic cold. This track feels like it belongs right here in the story.


A side point is that some of the crew claimed that this wintering over period was one of the best times of their lives. Playing football, racing the dogs, plays and singing at night.


Stay tuned for more as this journey continues.


Thanks for listening and reading,


Tony Parker NESC


The SS Endurance in the polar winter
The SS Endurance in the polar winter

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