Many thanks to Freya at ITV Anglia for the video.
ITV Anglia report on the 2021 Festival
Cakes & Shanties 2021
Join us in Outpart Eastward, near the New Bell Inn, for cakes & shanties on August Bank Holiday Monday – 30th August 2021 11am – 5pm
Cakes & Shanties
Join us on Bank Holiday Monday 30th August for Cakes & Shanties
Outpart Eastward, adjacent to the New Bell Inn.
Johnson Girls
Johnson Girls were all set to come to our 2020 Festival, representing the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts as part of our Mayflower celebrations. Travel uncertainties and increased costs make their Atlantic crossing impossible this year, but we are very much hoping that this world renowned Shanty group can join us via the wonders of Live Streaming.
Isle ‘ave a Shanty
Isle ‘Ave A Shanty are a 6 piece shanty crew based on the Isle of Ely. They specialise in traditional songs from the sea and the country in a folk style as well as putting a folk twist on some modern classics! They may come from a landlocked county but they bring their own style to both traditional and self penned songs.
ShantyFolk
ShantyFolk are a landlocked, acapella shanty group from the Lavenham area; they have been singing together since 2014 when, as members of a local choir, they sought to do ‘something different’ for a charity concert. Since then they have helped raise a significant amount for various good causes including the RNLI. 2021 will mark their debut at HISF.
Shotley Crue
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.
Rattlin’ Winches
Another home grown Harwich Town group, the Rattlin’ Winches have been singing together for several years now and are all keen exponents of the shanty tradition, performing at many local events. This busy trio also sing with other Harwich crews, so look carefully and you may spot them more than once over the weekend.
Pot Of Gold Shanty Crew
Now embarking on their 5th year together, Pot of Gold have gained an enviable reputation for singing traditional, and not so traditional, shanties and songs of the sea, in their own unique style.
Expect a totally inclusive, laid-back, entertaining session, full of great songs, fantastic harmonies, humour, brilliant musicianship and audience participation – the complete experience that has entertained audiences from Kings Lynn to The Minack Theatre and many places in between. And for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, Pot of Gold are proud to say they have a crew member who will sign their songs.
Hoy Boy
From our local waters of Essex, Hoy Boy (Peter Purnell) is a young(‘ish) enthusiastic acapella Sea Shanty Soloist with a passion for Maritime Folk Music. Specialising in rousing uplifting shanties from the golden age of sail that will have you joining in with gusto.
Hoolies
This will be the second appearance for The Hoolies from Wivenhoe on the Colne Estuary. Now well established as part of the shanty community, they are in much demand locally for their lively and entertaining versions of traditional and contemporary sea songs.
Pete Stockwell
Long time devotee of all things maritime, Pete has been singing sea songs and shanties for as long as any of us can remember and leads the shanty session at Broadstairs Folk Festival every year. He has been a supporter of our Festival since the beginning and we look forward to welcoming him back in 2021.
Malcolm Ward
An inveterate singer of shanties and folk songs, Malcolm has been performing at clubs and festivals for many years. With a melodious voice and sympathetic accompaniment on concertina, Malcolm joins with Pete Stockwell for most gigs here at Harwich International Shanty Festival.
Golden Rivets
Popular local group, the Golden Rivets will be performing for us again at the Shanty Festival this year. Accompanied by a variety of instruments they play and sing a lively, upbeat set of shanties and sea songs.
Felix Stowaways
Felix Stowaways are a busy and popular Shanty Crew, performing at many local events and holding a successful annual “ShantyCafé” in their home town of Felixstowe. They have been singing together for a number of years and are welcome attendees at HISF.
Salt Water & Beer
Also from Maldon, Salt Water & Beer have been singing together for a number of years. Originally singing for beer on Maldon Quay they now sing for beer at events much further afield, including our own Harwich International Shanty Festival.
Mains’l Haul
A short trip down the Essex Coast to Maldon on the Blackwater Estuary finds the Shanty Crew Mains’l Haul. Formed in 2014, the group sing mainly unaccompanied, but also play a variety of instruments including melodeon, guitar, concertina and recorder. The group sing mainly at festivals, regattas and sailing clubs and have become regulars at HISF.
Motley Crew
Just along the coast in Brightlingsea, Motley Crew have been singing together now for a number of years and gained a loyal following for their entertaining performances. They are much in demand locally and have performed at numerous events, often raising money for charity, particularly the RNLI.
Hog Eye Men
London Shanty Crew the Hog Eye Men sing at events all over the Capital City. They also host a monthly sea song and shanty session in central London and like Swinging the Lead, have a regular slot on board the Cutty Sark. The crew are keen to keep these great songs alive, singing them as they used to be sung: simply, boldly and loudly.
Naze Shanty Crew
Founders of the Harwich International Shanty Festival and enthusiastic promoters of maritime music, the Naze Shanty Crew are thrilled to be performing together again after their enforced rest. Veterans of several maritime festivals at home and abroad, Harwich remains of course, their favourite
Charlotte & Spong
Accompanied by fiddle, mandolin and concertina, Charlotte and Spong have an original take on many traditional shanties and also include some contemporary material in their varied sets. This year they will be joined by Allan and Rene for another entertaining Magic Lantern Show. Featuring original photographs of 19th Century maritime life on a genuine Magic Lantern projector, this is a show not to be missed.
Silver Darlings
This all female crew from the Southend area made a great impression at our 2019 Festival and are set to do the same again as they join us in 2021. They are rapidly making a name for themselves, both locally and further afield, with great voices and lively performances.
Hans Weehuizen aka Dutch Uncle
Hans is a familiar face at HISF and indeed at many other festivals in the UK. Join Hans at one of his “Learn to Play the Bones” workshops, or catch him as he sings Dutch and English shanties, accompanied by concertina or melodeon.
Harwich Shanty Crew
The home town Shanty Crew of the festival was born out of a workshop run at a very early HISF. They now perform at many events both locally and further afield with a dedicated and expanding group of singers and wide repertoire of sea songs and shanties, some self penned.
Swinging The Lead
Kentish band, Swinging the Lead join us once again with an ever expanding line up! They are regular singers on board the famous tea clipper, the Cutty Sark and also regulars at many festivals and events around the UK. They sing an entertaining mixture of traditional and contemporary maritime songs, including some written by members of the band. Swinging the Lead have been performing together for over ten years and are welcome regulars at HISF.
Old Gaffers
From the South Hams area of Devon, Old Gaffers are representing their nearby towns of Plymouth and Dartmouth. This is the Gaffers second visit to Harwich and their previous performances made them an instant hit. A large repertoire of sea songs and shanties, professional delivery and easy going style make them a popular choice at venues both locally and further afield.
Ken Stephens
An accomplished concertina player, Ken sings sometimes solo and sometimes alongside Hans during the Festival programme. In addition, Ken is the author of many well known modern sea songs and shanties and we have a special concert showcasing his contribution to the maritime tradition.
Act Of Mutiny
Another first for us, Act of Mutiny hail from Leiden in the Netherlands, the town where many of the Pilgrims settled before making that historic crossing. The group has a versatile repertoire of traditional and modern shanties, singing mainly in English, sometimes French or Spanish and often accompanied by guitar, banjo, flute, cello and percussion. Look forward to some lively performances.
Shanty Jack
For the past 30 years or more, Shanty Jack (Pete Hayselden) has been a regular fixture at Shanty Festivals both in the UK and abroad. He spent a large part of his life working on Tugs in the Humber and was instrumental in establishing the Hull Sea Fever Festival. This is his first visit to us here in Harwich, he represents the three towns of Boston, Gainsborough and Immingham in his adopted home county of Lincolnshire.
Kimbers Men
We are so pleased to welcome the talented Kimber’s Men back to our Festival this year. Their superb harmonies and great arrangements make them one of the most sought after Shanty Groups in the land. And as true Yorkshire men they are representing the town of Austerfield, Doncaster as part of our Mayflower celebrations.
2021 Festival
Our 2021 Festival features a rather special theme of the Mayflower. Most of you will know that the year 2020 was intended to be a celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower to the New World. Harwich town as the birthplace of both the Mayflower Ship and its Master Christopher Jones, is an important part of that story.
Many towns in England, but also in the Netherlands and of course the U.S.A were planning a joint celebration of this historic occasion, with commemorative events scheduled to take place throughout the year. We all know what happened to that! However there are still hopes to salvage something of this historic occasion and many towns are still staging some events connected to the Mayflower Story.
Here at Harwich International Shanty Festival we have managed to secure Shanty Singers and Crews to represent most of the Mayflower Towns and we have several special events and concerts lined up following this theme. Our Guest List below indicates which Artists are representing a particular Mayflower Town and we look forward to welcoming you to the series of special concerts we have lined up.
Footnote
Apologies to the many Artists we were unable to host this year. I’m sure you all appreciate what a difficult year it has been for all aspects of the Arts and the music industry. Let’s all support this Festival and start to get events back on track.
Artists for 2021
As you’ll no doubt realise we can’t announce any artists for our planned 2021 Festival yet! Once the year progresses and the health situation stabilises, then … news will appear here!
Amaury Villain
It is with shock and sadness that we report the death of Amaury Villain, whom many will remember as the Accordionist with Brise Glace, from Montreal, who went down a storm at our 2019 Festival. Amaury was just 45 years old and we send love and condolences to the band, his friends and family.
Treasure Hunt 2020 renewed!
“At last the 2020 Treasure Hunt!”
Remember 2020? Hmmm, maybe not. Anyway, we promised we would reschedule the Treasure Hunt as soon as the we could – and that brings us to the first weekend after pub gardens can re-open! We are of course grateful to Nick at the Alma for his kind offer to host this event.
Firstly (and most importantly) the Treasure Hunt is wholly dependant on the Coronavirus Rules that pertain on 17th April. Please remember that masks are still currently required whilst you are moving around in the pub. Also, please keep an eye on this page and our social media accounts for the latest news and any updates.
The short info:
- Meet at the Alma Public House’s new garden between midday and one o’clock on Saturday 17th April to collect your clues
- Don’t forget a pencil or a pen, please!
- £5 per individual or £10 per family
- Answer sheets should be back by 3pm for marking, results by 3.30pm.
Save time by buying your ticket in advance. Please save/print your confirmation email.
Online tickets are no longer available.
Please buy your ticket at The Alma
The long version:
To collect clues please enter the Alma through the gate at 26, Kings Head Street (to the right of the Alma front doors). Please do not use the Eastgate St entrance.
The gate leads into the new Alma garden. For information, this is soon to be a new seafood restaurant, Lambard’s Salt House. Watch out for a poster on the gate. Here you will find a large heated marquee where you can collect clue sheets between 1200 -1300.
There is table service here for drinks and food and a one way system takes Treasure Hunters out through the door of No. 26, back into Kings Head Street. There are toilet facilities too, so no need to enter the Alma Inn at all.
Completed sheets are due back at the Alma between 1430 and 1500 and competitors should bring their sheets back to the Alma. Please enter the pub through the front door and walk through to the back garden of the Alma (which is also heated). We hope to have all sheets marked and the results ready by 1530. Whilst waiting for results people can take a seat in either of the outdoor areas and again food and drinks are available via table service only.
Many thanks to Nick May and the Alma staff for their fantastic support.
You can contact the pub to book a meal via their website www.almaharwich.co.uk
Mayflower CD “The Harwich Ship”
Our Mayflower CD is currently out of stock
The Harwich Ship
In 2014 Harwich International Shanty Festival ran a very special project commissioning new songs to commemorate the town’s connections to the Mayflower and its Master, Christopher Jones, who was born and lived in Harwich. We had a fantastic response with some 17 new songs written and a unique concert showcasing the songs. This CD comprises the fruits of everyone’s labours. Unfortunately there are a few songs not able to be represented here, not because of lack of excellence but because the vagaries of a live performance means that occasionally the sound quality is not sufficient.
We apologise to those artists not featured, but hope everyone will agree that the songs which do feature show a wide variety of interesting takes on the subject matter. We very much hope that not only will some of these songs be taken up and sung in clubs and pubs around the land, but that they will awaken an interest in the history of the Mayflower and its voyage to the New World. Harwich can rightly be proud of its heritage and of the fact that such an important aspect of it is now recorded in song.
Thanks go to all artists who took part in this project, including: John Conolly, Old Wild Rovers, Malcolm Ward, Naze Shanty Crew, Alan Lake, Ian Roper & Mick Rogers, Swinging the Lead, Peter Hunt, Bob Watson, Mick Verrier, Alan Whitbread, Gerald Donaldson, Michael Fitzgerald & The Chantey Cabin.
- The New World Shanty – The Naze Shanty Crew 2:46
- Haul Away Drift Away – Swinging The Lead 2:56
- Flowers of May – John Conolly 4:41
- Bound For North America – Holland Park Primary School 2:18
- Mayflower Last Waltz – Malcolm Ward 4:04
- Sign Up With Capt. Jones – Alan Whitbread 3:50
- The Tale of Christopher Jones – The Naze Shanty Crew 3:10
- Pollyanna..Bob Watson 4:37
- The Little Harwich Ship – Ian Roper and Mick Rogers 3:29
- Josian Jones – Burning Glass 5:31
- We Sail Together – Pete Hunt 4:27
2019 CD Out of Stock!
Out of stock
Our 2019 Shanty Festival CD features 24 artists who played Harwich Sea Shanty Festival in 2019
See below for purchase options
Back in 2019 we recorded some of the performances from artists appearing at that year’s festival:
Alan Whitbread
Armstrong’s Patent
Baggyrinkle
Brise Glace
Chris Roche
Dan McKinnon
Dutch Uncle
Geoff Higginbottom
Hog Eye Men
Jim Radford
Ken Stevens
Mains’l Haul
Malcolm Ward
Mollyhawks
Motley Crew
Naze Shanty Crew
New Scorpian Band
Pete McCelland
Salt Water & Beer
Sheringham Shanty Men
Shotley Crue
Swinging The Lead
Sloop Groggy Dogs
Tyburn Road
Sadly a few of these artists are no longer with us.
Please ensure your correct address is logged with Paypal
RIP Jim Radford
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jim Radford. He has been a stalwart supporter of HISF and a valued contributor to many concerts, workshops, talks and singarounds over the course of the Festival. We shall all miss him, his songs, both traditional and self penned, his stories, his wit and his personality. Sleep well Jim, we are sorry not to see you again.
2022 Festival
For full details of the Festival we recommend you buy a Souvenir Programme, which includes an hour by hour guide as well as venue and artist information. There’s over a hundred free events, details in the Programme.
Auction
We are holding our first online auction, the original artwork for our latest CD.
Local talented artist Len Smith created an original acrylic painting to be used as the artwork for the ‘In Dry Dock’ CD. He has now donated this painting to the Festival for auction.
The painting is approximately 2ft (60cm) square & is painted in acrylic, it is not framed and is not watermarked. Visit our auction page for full details.
“In Dry Dock” CD
- Currently out of stock
- Our lockdown shanty CD, In Dry Dock, is back in stock and available via this site priced £8 plus p&p. It features 22 artists who have either played Harwich Sea Shanty Festival in recent years or who were due to play this year:
For a track listing and purchase options please see below.
Lockdown!
Well the year 2020 will certainly go down in history, but not as a commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower, as many in the UK and USA had hoped! The plans of the whole world have been put on hold, including ours here at Harwich International Shanty Festival. When Coronavirus first hit and the world was reeling in disbelief, we still hoped, with a Festival towards the end of the year, that we might be able to go ahead. It soon became apparent this was not an option and we regretfully took the decision to postpone our planned special Mayflower Festival until 2021.
But what now? An online event was considered but rejected for various reasons, though we wanted to mark this rather strange year in some way. And so, just as the Festival is effectively In Dry Dock for the year, the idea of a CD “In Dry Dock” was born. We are hugely grateful to all those artists who have so generously donated a track to this project and to Chantey Cabin for their work in producing the CD. The result is a mix of songs both from those due to perform this year – now deferred until 2021- and many past performers, including some of our most popular acts from the last fifteen years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supports the Festival for their loyalty over the years and we hope that you will enjoy this unique souvenir. And finally, we look ahead to brighter times when we can all meet up again in person. Here’s to October 2021!!
- Shake Her Johnny Chris Roche
- Sam’s Gone Away El Pony Pisador
- Herzogin Cecile Ken Stephens
- Davy Nik Nik Hans Weehuizen
- Johnson Girls The Johnson Girls
- Wild Goose The London Sea Shanty Collective
- Ranzo Ray Nordet
- Limehouse Reach Alan Whitbread
- Flash Frigate Dominic Magog
- The Corncrake The Rogues Shanty Buoys
- Reuben James Act of Mutiny
- Little Pot Stove Mains’l Haul
- Fire Maringo Hoy Boy
- The Captain’s Daughter The Longest Johns
- John Cherokee Tyburn Road
- Noah Could Not Navigate Men Overboard
- The Worst Old Ship The Hoolies
- Wellerman Norfolk Broads
- Brave Wolf Sound Tradition
- Rolling To Cairo Town Naze Shanty Crew
- Crossing the Bar Swinging the Lead
- Shores of Normandy Jim Radford
We would especially like to thank every artist, or their representative, for the kind offer of their tracks.
The CD is usually available via this site but, if you are having difficulties or require further information, contact us by email –
Please ensure your correct address is logged with Paypal
2021 Festival
Book the dates – we are planning to put on a festival!
Full details This Years Festival
Quiz
Alan Whitbread: Order of Service
Owing to the current pandemic, only family were able to attend Alan Whitbread’s funeral. We are however able to share the order of service which may be of interest as it contains a fascinating insight into Alan’s history. (Please note that it is a large PDF file and may take a few seconds to load.)
A celebration will now take place on 27th March 2021 at the Fleece Inn, Bretforton WR11 7JE. Keep an eye on our usual social media channels, the newsletter and this website for up to date news.
Alan Whitbread_Order of ServiceUpdate
Unsurprisingly we have to report that Shanty Sundays at the Pier are suspended for the foreseeable future, so no Hoolies to brighten your Easter. We have no plans to cancel our Festival at this present time, but of course we are continually monitoring the situation and will let everyone know if there is any change
Shanty Jack
For the past 30 years or more, Shanty Jack (Pete Hayselden) has been a regular fixture at Shanty Festivals both in the UK and abroad. He spent a large part of his life working on Tugs in the Humber and was instrumental in establishing the Hull Sea Fever Festival. At HISF Pete will be singing and playing and proudly representing Boston/Immingham area as part of our Mayflower 400 celebrations
Johnson Girls
All the way from the USA, Johnson Girls are the foremost all woman acapella maritime group in the world and have been singing together for over 20 years now. Rousing work songs, sensitive ballads and soaring harmonies are all part of their repertoire and they join us this year not only to entertain with all of these but also representing Plymouth USA as part of our Mayflower 400 celebrations.
Hoy Boy
Sailing in from Canvey Island in Essex, Hoy Boy (Peter Purnell) is a young enthusiastic acapella Sea Shanty Soloist with a passion for Maritime Folk Music. Specialising in rousing uplifting shanties from the golden age of sail that will have you joining in with gusto.
Doggerland
Powerful singing, innovative arrangements and unusual instrumentation all make up the unique sound of Doggerland who combine the traditions of England and Scandinavia in their shanties and ballads.
Act Of Mutiny
As part of HISF participation in and support for the Mayflower 400 Anniversary, we are very pleased to be inviting Sea Shanty groups from nearly all of the Mayflower towns. Act of Mutiny are from Leiden in Holland, representing that town as part of our very special concert, but also of course entertaining at other times throughout the weekend. We welcome them on their first visit to Harwich.
Kimbers Men
We couldn’t do without Kimber’s Men at our extended Mayflower 400 Festival! The top UK Shanty Crew, popular all over the world and one of our most requested groups. And as true Yorkshire men they will be representing Austerfield, Doncaster in our Mayflower concert.
Alan Whitbread
As many of you will have already seen from our brief post yesterday evening, Alan Whitbread sadly passed away on Tuesday evening. He has been a supporter and valued performer at our Festival for many years, his knowledge, musical ability and rapport with his audience made him a ready favourite. He could always engage an audience, whatever the situation and he was always remarkably cheerful and optimistic, remaining so during his illness.And so we would like to pay tribute to him, here on this page. We appreciated being his friends!
Swinging the Lead
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.
Shanty Workshop – Photos & Feedback
Please could I say a personal thank you to everyone who was involved in making our workshop and concert yesterday such a success. I’m not going to name individuals as I will miss someone, but, thank you to you all … To all of those of you that bought a ticket and came along , our large team of volunteers and our performers….. A truly successful day all round , remarkably stress free as, for the first time ever , everything went to plan… Oh and we made a profit and raised money for the festival…..
Watch this space as we are planning another workshop and concert next Feb…
Thank you everyone
Penny xx
Dear all. I’d like to say a huge thank you for the super Workshop day. It far exceeded my expectations. The Rogue Shanty Buoys ran an excellent workshop – lots of interaction, tuition, new songs and techniques and history explained. Very professional.
The evening shanty concert was also superb – new and old songs, lively, witty. Even our daughter and son in law, who joined us at short notice and hadn’t a clue what to expect, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. If run again, this workshop and concert are highly recommended for experienced and novice singers.
Finally, well done the catering team (excellent lunch and coffee breaks) and organisers for a super day. Regards, Trevor Williams”
Hog Eye Men
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.
Mains’l Haul
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.
Motley Crew
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.
Silver Darlings
Silver Darlings from Southend-on-Sea made a big impression at last year’s Festival and so we are very pleased to welcome them back for 2020. Their performances are lively and engaging and they are rapidly making a name for themselves both here in Essex and further afield.
London Sea Shanty Collective
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.
Salt Water & Beer
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.