International Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth, Cornwall, June 17th -19th

May 31, 2011 - PRLog -- The three-day festival – which came about as a result of a conversation between three Falmouth-based ‘shantymen’ in a harbour-side pub six years ago – is now one of the most eagerly anticipated annual events in the region.  The festival enjoys an international reputation for its welcoming, characterful atmosphere, raising essential funding for the RNLI (to date just over £20k has been raised), and supported, both in spirit and in song, by established talents such as the chart-topping Fishermen’s Friends – the winners of the ‘Good Tradition’ title and runners-up for Best Group at the recent Radio 2 Folk Awards 2011.

This year’s event will see 27 acts (including Fishermen’s Friends) singing their maritime hearts out throughout the days and late into the nights on three main stages across the town (Discovery Quay, The Moor and Custom House Quay), in addition to a spread of nearby venues. Several special performances are also planned including singing aboard the replica of 15th Century merchant sailing ship ‘The Matthew’ (www.matthew.co.uk), a performance at the nearby National Trust-owned Trelissick Gardens and a special service at King Charles The Martyr Church on Sunday 19th led by the Sheringham Shantymen. A keynote concert involving two of the larger groups will also be held at Falmouth’s arts centre, The Poly, on the Saturday night.

While the majority of the acts are South West-based there is strong representation from across the rest of the UK, in addition to outfits from as far away as Norway, Holland and France, which have a strong tradition of maritime music. The ‘shanties’ themselves are all working songs and ballads dating back to the pre-steamship days in which sailors would lift their spirits and ease the burden of hoisting a sail or raising an anchor by thinking up evocative, rhythmic and humorous songs. For visitors to the festival, the experience is always uplifting, with the song lyrics and impassioned performances raising many a glass and plenty of cheer.

“The Sea Shanty festival is all about having fun and celebrating a part of our working history,” says festival founder and shantyman John Warren. “We’ve always aimed to make sure of three things – that the groups have a great time, that the crowds have a great time and that any money we make goes to the RNLI which has supported us from the start. It’s a cracking weekend and the groups that come here absolutely love it which is why they come back year on year from all over the world to give free performances for everyone to enjoy. The sea shanty is a wonderful thing – the stories the sailors had, the lyrics they wrote – they all tell us about what working life was like in those days. It’s a valuable part of our heritage and a great reason to throw a huge celebration.”

Falmouth itself provides the perfect backdrop for such an event.  Straddling the world’s third deepest natural harbour, the town’s narrow streets and quaysides are an atmospheric throwback to the days of the historic Packet Ships, whilst contemporary Falmouth boasts an array of quality restaurants, bars, hotels and B&Bs.  It won’t be hard for visitors to see why Dame Ellen Macarthur chose Falmouth as her port of choice for her return after her world record-breaking solo voyage around the globe or why the historic Tall Ships Association has also held a number of high profile events here.

“The Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival is a true original.” says Richard Wilcox, Falmouth Business Improvement District Manager (BID), the initiative that is responsible for destination marketing and events development for the resort. “Visitors to Falmouth during the festival will be treated to the perfect combination of rousing music that really grabs hearts and minds, fantastic food and an awesome atmosphere. This year there are some terrific new venues, from the beautiful Trelissick Gardens to the historic ship, The Matthew, making this a must visit event for people from all over the world in 2011.”