Those artists booked for the 2018 festival
Capstan Full Strength are a six strong vocal harmony group who have sung songs of the sea, land and work since 1998. Their powerful ‘broadside’ of sound has been welcomed at festivals in Europe, Scandinavia and the British Isles . ‘Capstan FS’ offer an incredibly broad repertoire of maritime songs enhanced with beautiful harmonies and arrangements that will leave you enchanted.
Another of our most popular performers, Nordet join us again from Lorient in Brittany. They sing shanties and sea songs in French, Breton and English accompanied by guitar, melodeon and now, Uillean pipes. Twenty years of experience has seen them performing all over the world at venues from Village Halls to concert auditoriums. Come and capture some of their magic.
Another London based group, Telegraph Community Choir will be visiting us for the second time this year. They recently celebrated their tenth anniversary and perform a wide range of singing styles. At HISF they will be concentrating on their Sea Shanty set.
Dave and Ian sing mainly maritime sets together as Tyburn Road and have become a regular fixture at HISF. With fine singing voices and often accompanied by the concertina they will entertain you with an unusual selection of songs and tunes.
A performance from Old Gaffers from South Devon is always inclusive and engaging and delivered with their own brand of humour. During the 10 years of their existence they have performed widely in the West Country and further afield and return to Harwich this year in particular to represent Plymouth UK as part of our Mayflower 400 celebrations.
The London Sea Shanty Collective is a community choir who sing shanties and maritime songs with one eye to tradition and the other to the future. They perform regularly in London and across the UK and Ireland and have sung at festivals, pubs, bars, theatres, the British Museum the British Library and more.
Hans is a regular performer at our Festival now and in addition to singing and playing concertina/melodeon he will be running his popular How to Play the Bones workshops again.
Singer, concertina player and author of several contemporary shanties often mistaken for traditional, Ken is a relaxed entertaining and knowledgeable performer, veteran of many maritime events. For 2020 he is representing his home town of Southampton at our Mayflower 400 concert
The Hog Eye Men join us once again from London to sing authentic shanties in a traditional manner. All members of the Crew have long experience of traditional folk, particularly maritime, music and song.
One of our popular regulars, Swinging the Lead join us once again, having now expanded into a six-piece band. Their repertoire includes both traditional, contemporary and self-penned songs and for 2020 they will be representing Rotherhithe at our Mayflower 400 concert.
Tireless supporters of the Festival, Charlotte and Spong will be entertaining us over the weekend with their beautiful arrangements of sea songs and shanties, plus their very popular “Shanty Karaoke” on Saturday afternoon.
Roger and Liz return to the festival with lively interpretations of maritime songs, often accompanied by accordion or whistle. They will also be running the very popular “Learn to Sing in Public” workshop, encouraging new singers to take that plunge!
Malcolm and Pete, both well established figures on the Kent Folk scene, will be performing together at HISF with a wide range of maritime songs often accompanied by banjo or concertina. They both share a passion for songs of the sea and an in depth knowledge of their subject which they share with their audiences.
Another Essex crew from Maldon, Salt Water and Beer have been singing together for a number of years. They have performed at Harwich International Shanty Festival on several occasions and they return again for our 2020 celebrations.
Visiting again from across the seas, well the Orwell, are popular local group Felix Stowaways, who are blessed with the catchiest group name that could be bestowed upon a crew by virtue of their home town.
Another crew formed directly as a result of the Harwich Shanty Festival, Shötley Crüe have now been singing together for nearly 6 years and have performed at a number of Festivals and clubs around the country. They are now resident band at a monthly Folk club in South London.
From just along the Essex coast in Brightlingsea, Motley Crew are a very popular local group whose performances are always lively and robust. They perform at many local events and successfully raise thousands of pounds for the RNLI.
Mains’l Haul join us again from Maldon, a little further down the Essex Coast. They sing a lively mix of shanties and sea songs and welcome audience participation.
Formed from a workshop at our Festival back in 2010, Harwich Shanty Crew are now much in demand locally and perform regularly throughout the year at a number of local events. And they will of course be representing Harwich at our special Mayflower 400 concert
A home-grown Harwich group, the Golden Rivets have been performing together for many years. Their performances are upbeat and inclusive.
Local Buoys, sorry boys, Ben, Len and Roy must be the hardest working shanty singers at the Festival this year as they perform with 3 other shanty groups as well. Harwich International Shanty Festival has obviously gone to their heads. Long may it last!
Naze Shanty Crew founded the Harwich International Shanty Festival after casting envious glances across the bay from Walton-on-the-Naze. Now none of them live in Walton, but they keep the name and keep the Festival, sometimes at the expense of their sanity!
We’re always pleased to welcome Alan back to Harwich. His performances are lively, inclusive and entertaining and make the shanties come alive. Singing sometimes unaccompanied, sometimes with concertina, Alan will transport you back to the great days of sail.
The Hoy Shanty Crew sprung out of The Hoy at Anchor Folk Club, Southend area’s longest running Folk Club.
Singing rousing shanties together the group have performed extensively in Essex and beyond.
One of the diminishing numbers of survivors from WW2, Jim worked on the Naval Wartime Rescue Tug Service, based in Harwich. He also took part in the D Day Landings, 75 years ago. His talks and songs are always extremely popular at our Festival and Jim will once again be relating some of his wartime experiences, interspersed with songs, both traditional and self penned.
Jim currently has a single in the charts in aid of the Normandy memorial Trust:
http://www.normandymemorialtrust.org/shores-of-normandy-single/
Hailing from the well-known fishing port of Oxford, Short Drag Roger like nothing better than travelling the country and beyond, singing traditional and not so traditional sea shanties. In the 17 years of their existence they have attended a variety of functions, countries and Festivals. They say they will sing to anyone, anywhere, anytime at the “Drop of a Hat” and challenge you to try it and see what happens!
Tres Hombres Shanty Crew from Eindhoven in the Netherlands sing traditional shanties, sea songs and forebitters in surprisingly close harmony. They are also proud ambassadors of www.fairtransport.eu the emission free shipping company.