Favourite Songs From The Titanic Musical

Now the company is well into the rehearsals for the musical Titanic I have several songs which are my particular favourite. Given the nature of the story of Titanic, the musical is dealing with such a big canvas of events that the songs that have lodged themselves with me first are the big chorus numbers. One of the features of the musical that is likely to affect an audience, I believe, will be the large-scale nature of themes and stories that are being told all at once. We are watching a disaster happening to the equivalent of a small town and it is often easier to pick out the bigger picture whilst the individual tragedies may get missed.

My favourite songs include some of the big chorus numbers. For example Godspeed Titanic. One of the things that has struck me since being involved in Time of My Life is the poignancy of certain events when we can apply hindsight to them. In Time of My Life the opening scene in the restaurant is the precursor for a dramatic change in the life-course and fortunes of the characters. Similarly, because of the audience’s knowledge of Titanic’s fate (if anyone feels I have spoiled the storyline when I tell you it sinks I apologise) all the lyrics are seen in this context. Godspeed Titanic fits into that category for me, the joy with which the chorus are singing and wishing the ship good luck and anticipating it delivering them safely west. Some of them home and some to a new life. It is such an uplifting song. Number one on my list.

Next up is another chorus number. This time one that evokes the hustle, bustle and variety of people as they try and make sure they get on board the ship. I must get on that ship is a chance to get to know individuals with contributions from different characters as they rush to get on and all marvel at the ship. It also brings home the nature of society at the time and how this ship was allowing those classes to be in the same place at the same time. Very few of the ‘Kates’ would have had the opportunity to see a millionaire, here they had a boat load of them. The superstars of their day, Astor and his wife, people who today would have been in gossip magazines because of their marriage, are there for the ‘ordinary’ passengers to see and marvel at. Even if you don’t see them you are on the same boat as them and can pretend that: the best among them we’ll befriend.

A poignant song, just before the collision with the iceberg (again apologies for anyone who has had the story spoiled by that information), is No Moon which has also become a favourite of mine. You begin to get the sense of what the passengers will have to contend with when the ship begins to sink. Pitch black dark. Cold. The difficulty of finding their way around the vast ship. Interwoven with this the little stories of people looking forward to a new life, often together with a new love they have found. Suddenly all to be brought to a crashing end on a flat calm sea.

Those then are three of my favourite songs from the musical Titanic. Tomorrow I am going to conclude with my final two.