Festival Groups
Take a look at who will be performing at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in 2025!
With performances from 80+ groups across various venues, Falmouth is filled with songs of the sea at the three-day festival. There are groups from the UK as well as groups travelling from overseas to be part of the festival.
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ACapella Moonshine
ACapella Moonshine is an all –female shanty group living in and around Falmouth.
We have been singing together for many years and, in 2013, were the first all-female group to appear at the Falmouth International Shanty Festival – inspiring other female groups to do the same!
We are very proud to say that we are “multi–generational”; our line – up of ten lovely ladies spans all the ages from 20 somethings to 70 somethings, and all the decades in between, but what unites us is our love of singing rollicking, rousing shanties and telling the tales of our nautical heritage, often from the woman’s perspective.
We sing a blend of shanties, Cornish songs and songs of the sea – many of which we “Moonshine” by adapting the locale and the gender to personalise the songs and set them in our beloved Cornwall. We also sing songs that are unique to us, written by ourselves or close friends to tell a personal story about our love for Cornwall and the sea.
One of our favourite things is to meet other groups and sing along with them. There is no surer way to forget your woes and worries than by a hearty rendition of rumbustious sea shanties!!
Ajoupa Trio
Ajoupa Trio are three musicians from Orléans in France. Nicolas on accordion, Thierry on guitar and vocals and Jean-Paul on irish flutes, harmonica and vocals. Their repertoire is made up of sea shanties, celtic, irish and scottish music… Whatever they like!
The trio are also Loire mariners, and perform Loire sea shanties.
Armstrong’s Patent
Armstrong’s Patent consists of 4 men and 1 woman, who sing stories about ships, the sea, fishing and about family members who are waiting for a safe return of their loved ones, in the port!
Their songs can be recognised by a narrative part and the choruses often contain a repeating part, which of course you can always be sing along to.This group have a lot of fun and a strong bond among themselves, which makes them proud of each other and proud of what they achieve together. Armstrong’s Patent travels every year to a number of countries in Europe, England, Germany, Norway and Belgium, USA, France.
Every year in August, Bie Daip foundation organises the International Folk & Seasongs Festival “Bie Daip” together with Armstrong’s Patent where around 30 Folk & Seasong groups participate. International, incredibly special groups and above all very accessible and super fun. The International Folk & Seasongsfestival “Bie Daip” has been a household name in Appingedam for more than 24 years and takes place in the centre of Appingedam, pubs & bars and around the Nicolaikerk.
Back Beach Boyz
Teignmouth’s lively band were formed in February 2013. They have played at many festivals and also been featured on BBC’s television’s “Spotlight” programme, singing one of their own compositions.
Some of the more interesting places Back Beach Boyz have performed include Exeter Cathedral, Plymouth Theatre Royal and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
Their albums include ‘Good Libations’, ‘Captain Baarman’s Dog’ (plus an accompanying promotional video “The Monk Of Lidwell Chapel’ included on their You Tube channel) and ‘Captain Jack Spratt’. Many of the tracks on the two latter albums were written by members of the band, which sets them apart from other groups.
Barnacle Buoys
Barnacle Buoys are excited about returning to Falmouth this year. They are based in Clevedon, North Somerset, on the briny Bristol Channel.
The group has been going for 13 years now, with only one of original member still singing with them, but are rolling along merrily with new Buoys learning the ropes and reducing their average age dramatically!
Barnacle Buoys sing acapella, with their own interpretation of traditional and unusual shanties and sea songs. They continue with their mission to have fun, bring a smile to the faces of their audiences, whilst raising an appreciable amount of funds for their chosen charities.
Barrel Seagals
The Barrel Seagals are an all-female, light-hearted and fun shanty crew based in Bude.
Their songs include unique takes on traditional shanties to represent the female perspective, plus original penned material based upon Cornish legends.
Trying to keep up with some of the longer standing male crews they have found themselves attending many of the prestigious festivals over the last few years and have started to build up quite the following and reputation.
Barrett’s Privateers
Formed in 2019 and based on the Cornish side of the beautiful Tamar Valley, the group met through a joy of acapella singing in local pubs, and Barrett’s Privateers was born.
From the deep, resonating notes of the father and son bass to the high notes of the girls, Barrett’s Privateers have delighted audiences throughout Cornwall and well beyond, with their broad, rich harmonies. They take each song and make it their own, with each of the voices finding a way to complement its neighbour. The power and harmony within their lively performances are both enjoyable and hugely entertaining.
Bow Creek
Ahoy there Falmouth Shanty! Join Bow Creek on a musical voyage who hail from Holland, Ireland and the U.K. Blending tradition with high-energy, Bow Creek are best known for creating unique arrangements of folk songs and songs of the sea with fiddle, guitar, melodeon, bass and harmonies.
The multi-instrumental band members each have a rich musical history and have performed at festivals all over Europe, Ireland & England, on T.V. and radio. They draw inspiration from childhoods immersed in the folk tradition, Celtic origins, folk-rock and folk dance. So, raise your voices and your tankards and come aboard.
Bryher’s Boys
Since 2017, Bryher’s Boys love of the folk repertoire, both Nautical and Cornish, have proved a hit with audiences both local and international, with over 300 performances clocked up to date in venues as diverse as crowded pubs, weddings, community events, fundraisers and large scale concerts.
The group are particularly proud to have represented Cornwall abroad at the 2019 Festival Interceltique and the 2022 Celtic Gathering and being asked to compose a “G7 Shanty” for the 2021 G7 Summit – performing it live on BBC News, reaching an audience of millions worldwide.
Contacts:
C Birds
We are a group of 10 women shanty singers who formed in 2022, following a friend’s request for locals to sing at a village fete. We had minimal experience of performing, and for some of us the only singing we ever did was in the shower. Spurred on by the challenge, we practised and practised and nervously ventured out to face the audience, and had a whale of a time.
Bolstered by the experience, we decided to continue with our group and to see where it took us. If nothing else, a weekly meet-up over a glass of port, supporting each other through the ever-changing tide of life, seemed a good reason to carry on.
We constantly look into new songs, sometimes tweaking the words to match our style. We have enjoyed practising traditional shanties and songs about strong Cornish women and have been fascinated when looking into the meanings of the lyrics and the stories behind them.
Since our first gig, we have rehearsed in some unusual settings such as a preaching pit and a campsite’s laundrette! We have performed at many local events, in several pubs and twice at the Crantock Folk Festival. We have sung at a wedding and have also had the honour of singing at a friend’s funeral.
We are extremely excited about performing at the Falmouth Shanty Festival in 2024 and look forward to seeing you there.
Cadgwith Singers
The Cadgwith Singers have traditionally sung in the Cove Inn at Cadgwith on Friday nights for many decades. Originally local fishermen and farmers who sang exclusively in the Cove, the group now sing at pubs and venues in west Cornwall and embrace local singers from all walks of life. They continue to sing the traditional songs that have been handed down in the Cove for many years, particularly the Cadgwith anthem, but also embracing new material as it comes along.
Cape Cornwall Singers
The Cape Cornwall Singers were formed early in 1997 in an attempt to resurrect the singing tradition in the local pubs around St Just. A very familiar sound at weekends and especially during St Just Feast, singing in the town had declined in recent years due mainly to the closure of our local tin mines.
The first of many public appearances came in April 1997, followed by a guest appearance at the Tall Ships concert at Falmouth Castle in July and the Cornish Gorsedd in September of 1998. Brief television appearances, the release of our first CD/cassette tape “Our Beautiful Land” followed by our second CD “Men of Cornwall” in 2000 and the local radio exposure have kept Cape Singers in the public eye. Much of our success is due to the efforts of singer songwriter Harry Glasson who continues to write many of our most popular songs about Cornwall, our people and our traditions.
The Singers have been on many “tours”, the first being the Isles of Scilly in April 1998. In October 1999, we sailed from Swansea to Cork and on to Listowel for three days, then on to Kenmare. On our return to Cornwall we had a request to sing at the Kernewek Lowender (world’s largest Cornish festival in South Australia), so in May 2001, 26 singers with their wives and friends set off for Australia.
Captain Cat and the Sailors
Formed as a one-off for a talent contest in late 2008, Captain Cat and the Sailors are a shanty loving folk band that just keep on going. Based in South Wales, they draw on a range of musical traditions including shanties, working songs, Welsh, Irish and American music to create immersive and engaging musical experiences with their audiences. If you like stories, singing along and sinking beers then they are the band for you.
Catch Of The Day
Catch of the Day is an all-female shanty group from Wiltshire that performed at Falmouth last year under the name All at Sea. We are delighted to be back!
Catch of the Day sings a variety of songs from traditional sea shanties to songs incorporating watery motifs. We also develop original music and are interested in sharing the stories of women in seafaring communities. The songs may be tragic or humorous, but we aim to entertain you.
We love the festival atmosphere so come and share it with us and join in when you can.
Culdrose Military Wives Choir
Culdrose Military Wives Choir was formed in 2012, inspired by Gareth Malone’s TV series ‘The Choir’; one of the first in the network that today comprises 72 choirs and nearly 2,000 members at British military bases across the UK and overseas.
A registered charity, the Military Wives Choirs bring women with a military connection together to sing, share and support one another.
The Helston-based choir has collaborated on three Military Wives Choirs albums and enjoys performing a diverse repertoire at a variety of occasions, from community events to large-scale venues.
Culdrose Military Wives Choir Facebook
Du Hag Owr
A group that has grown in numbers in the last 15 years, Du Hag Owr try to combine tradition with humour and have a good time wherever they are.
From the Minack to the Golden Hind, shanty festivals across the South West, and being the only group at the 2021 G7 leaders’ final bbq, Du Hag Owr have been there. As always, enjoy Falmouth, and they’ll see you there.
Dutch Uncle
The Dutchman, Hans Weehuizen “Dutch Uncle “ gives his workshop How To Play Bones, during the Falmouth International Sea and Shanty Festival Weekend.
Hans is also active with singing sea songs and playing on his one row squeezebox and concertina. One of the oldest instruments to make rhythm are “bones” (bone).
On board ships, there were not many instruments, so the men searched to make simple instruments themselves, from wood or bone.
During the whale fishing there was enough material on hand to make bones (rattle-bones). Today you can’t get whalebones so easily, so people use wood, which works very well. It gives you an extra opportunity to make additionals sounds. To play with bones is divergent of old-fashioned “rattles”. The difference is, how to hold the bones, it gives greater possibilities to play additional rhythms. You often hear bones being played during shanty festivals.
One of the promotors in Europe is Shanty Jack, who uses bones as an accompaniment on his songs.
In America it goes much further, if you visit the Festival in Mystic Seaport, you hear many bone players.
There is even a Rhythm Bones Society, who organize their own Bones Festival. They have members all over the world.
*) The workshop teaches you the first steps of how to play the bones
*) How to hold the bones
*) The first movement with music
*) There is enough learning material to practice
*) On sale, there is a complete course with a coursebook in English, tape and practice bones
*) But you can also make your own bones!
For the workshop schedule, view the festival programme and try ‘HOW TO PLAY THE BONES’. The workshops are of course free of charge.
To find out more about the Bones workshops see:How to Play the Bones Website
Contact: hweehuizen@freeler.nl
Falmouth Shout
The Shout was born in the back room of the legendary Seven Stars in 2002. Having sadly lost some friends and happily found new members in recent years, we are rejuvenated and looking forward to this year of the shanty festival we started in 2004.
We are, as ever, a group of friends who enjoy a song and a drink and raising funds for our charities, notably the RNLI, Mission for Deep Sea Fishermen and the Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Femmes de la Mer
Femmes de la Mer are a group of women hailing from across Cornwall. Each individual member brings a unique sound to the group, yet it’s their blend of a cappella voices that has gained them recognition amongst the folk and sea shanty communities.
Led by musical director, Claire Ingleheart, this women+ group are known for their rich harmonies and bold interpretations of well known traditional songs as well as newly written shanties celebrating the lives and stories of Cornish women.
As well as launching their first album, Today’s Haul, a beautiful collection of shanties and songs of the sea, they recently appeared on the latest BBC series of Rick Stein Cornwall!
Figurehead
Figurehead are an all female shanty group from North Cornwall who share a love of songs with a traditional, nautical and maritime flavour. In fact if it contains a reference, however slight, to water, we consider it fair game.!
The group originally formed as a bit of fun around a kitchen table for 5 women who shared a love of sea songs and harmonies. Over the years the personnel have changed but the love of singing in harmony together and entertaining people with foot stomping songs and shanties remains constant.
Currently the members are Cath, Rachel, Sharon and Gill. As well as singing at local events, they can be seen performing at a wide variety of festivals around the South West. In 2023 they also enjoyed performing on Radio5 Live Sunday breakfast and appearing on CBeebies!
Flash Jack
Flash Jack is a group formed by combining previous members of the late lamented shanty crew Hanging Johnny with other well established local singers and musicians. They all hail from Plymouth and East Cornwall (although some of their roots are more widespread).
The groups repertoire has shanties and ballads old and new, tragic and comic. Tunes associated with the coast and seafaring (both at home and abroad) and songs from a woman’s perspective. Flash Jack also sing ballads and work songs from the land, reflecting the strong link which has always existed between the songs from coastal districts and the songs sung by the seafarers from those districts.
They maintain the honourable tradition of comic songs established by their illustrious predecessors and they positively encourage audience participation, with singing and dancing as brilliantly demonstrated by their audiences in the UK and their performances in European Maritime festivals
Freddie’s Barnet
Formed in 2018, Freddie’s Barnet love nothing better than singing old and new Shanty songs at open air summer festivals, by the sea or by a cosy fireside on a Winter’s eve. They travel our wonderful country from coast to coast raising a rousing song and a smile here and there as well as a few pounds for the RNLI.
Guillaume Yaouank
Guillaume Yaouank is a child of the Lorient coast.
He has toured for several years in France and abroad: England, Ireland, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, Singapore, Vietnam…
With his voice and his guitar, he offers you the purest in marine Folk. Guillaume Yaouank interprets the texts with the salty airs. Five albums in duet and participations in different musical projects of artists singing about the sea punctuate this rich career of an artist who loves to get close to his audience.
The authenticity that emerges from the repertoire chosen by Guillaume Yaouank takes the public on a journey beyond the seas.
Gulls
Gulls (Port Isaac) never said they were a shanty group but they do sing a strong “Sea Section” which follows in the good old Port Isaac singing tradition. So, expect shanties and songs of the sea with a bit of a female slant. They might even throw in a joke or two!
In this strong male genre this group like to say a word, or two, for the gals in “days of yore” left behind whilst their men sailed the high seas, who the Gulls like to think used to get together to talk, eat cake, drink wine and sing a bit!
Hay Shantymen
Hay Shantymen sing traditional and modern songs from the sea with warmth, wit and big harmonies. They have been performing since 2018 and during that time have raised over £15,000 for their chosen charity, the RNLI.
They have performed at major international shanty festivals including Falmouth and Port Isaac and also at the Latitude Festival and Hay Literature Festival, attracting ever increasing audiences every time they perform. Their arrangements and harmonies are stronger than ever and are performed with a sense of lively friendship that engages audiences from intimate pubs to big festival stages.
High & Dry
High & Dry are an all male acapella singing group based on and around the Mendips. They meet weekly to sing a few songs and socialise. From the groups humble beginnings around 15 years ago, mainly singing at local events they have spread their wings and are regulars at festivals around the South West, including the Bristol Shanty Festival.
High & Dry have a wide repertoire from traditional shanties through to maritime and folk, all sung with their trademark harmonies and good humour. This will be the groups first time at Falmouth and they can’t wait to make new friends.
Hit and Miss
Hit and Miss are a young, vibrant, local singing group who keep Cornwall’s musical heritage alive through song.
Hit and Miss were formed after five school friends were heard singing with the regular singers of the Blue Anchor Inn, Helston one Spring evening in 2017. It was pointed out to us that we should form a group to perform for the ‘Helstonbury’ festival in the coming August of that year. This we duly did and after being very well received, we entered in to ‘Helstonbury’ 2018 with a little more rehearsing under our belts. Since then we have gone from strength to strength taking on many other engagements across West Cornwall. We throughly enjoy singing together and are proud of our reputation for rich four-part harmonies.” Samuel Trounson
Kanerien Trozoul
Created in 1991, Kanerien Trozoul have traveled to many festivals and celebrations, in Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, all over Brittany and many venues in France.
The group are very happy to be back at the Falmouth Festival once again.
Kelp!
Kelp! are a small, eclectic group of men from Swanage in the Isle of Purbeck who have discovered the pleasure of singing sailor’s traditional working songs and raising money for good causes.
They share a love of the sea and are drawn from a common background of local sailors, lifeboat volunteers and friends.
Kessenyan
Kessenyan (meaning harmony) are a young three-part vocal group based in Redruth, Cornwall. Inspired by generations of singers, they specialise in English, Irish and Scottish folk songs and sea shanties. As a trio they are becoming well known for putting their own unique spin on the songs they love and enjoying every moment of it! With fresh arrangements, rich vocals and a love of tradition they are equally at home in a pub setting, intimate folk club or on the big stage.
Lemonaires
The Lemonaires are a passionate and powerful male vocal group based in Mylor Bridge, Falmouth, Cornwall. Singing traditional Cornish folk and shanties, their rich harmonies and heartfelt delivery bring the county’s heritage to life.
While not the oldest group on the circuit, they are quickly becoming one of the most respected, known for their authenticity and strong connection to Cornwall’s maritime and rural traditions. With performances at shanty festivals, pubs, and special events, The Lemonaires continue to grow their reputation as one of the most compelling and genuine shanty groups in the region.
Les Souillés De Fond De Cale
Since 1991 the band of five from The Côtes d’Armor have strolled along with their songs related to the sailing world from The North to the South, from Iceland to Italy , Quebec to Estonia, not to mention The British Isles, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium or The Netherlands.
Coming from various and different musical backgrounds, the members of the band succeeded in creating a group with its own identity full of friendship and complicity. They play folk tonic songs and melodies flavoured with emotion, humour and laughter inevitably capturing their audience along.
Set the sails and weigh the anchors ! The Souillés will take you along to a trip on the Coasts of Brittany, across the Channel and on a cruise across on the World’s seas! Such a fine mix of traditional songs pickled with a very special Celtic sauce!
Les Vénus du Matelot
Les Vénus du Matelot THREE VOICES’ MARITIMES SONGS from Les Sables d’Olonne, France.
Accompanied by a guitar or a cittern, they travel in the universe of the maritime repertoire by adding some personal compositions found in their logbook… The group takes you on polyphonic seas that are sometimes rough and sometimes moving. The revisited vocal arrangements refresh traditional sea shanties and bring emotion and originality..!!
Les Vénus du Matelot are composed of 2 female voices, a male voice and a guitar. You will find Isa (voice), Christine (voice) and Jean-Louis (voice, guitar and cittern).
Loose Cannons
Loose Cannons is a group of five friends who have many years experience singing with other shanty groups. We decided to get together in 2023 to get back to singing some of the songs we love in a smaller acoustic group, able to rock up and sing in smaller venues without the need for lots of PA gear, a kind of shanty Flying Squad! We hit the ground running in 2023 wiith successful gigs at Falmouth, Weston, St Ives and Mevagissey, as well as many smaller venues. Since then we have adopted the Fisherman’s Mission as our charity and have been lucky enough to attract sponsorship from the Harbour Tavern in Mevagissey. Our style is entertaining with lots of audience participation but, as our name suggests, you never know what to expect from Loose Cannons! We hope to see you over the weekend and make you smile!
Lower Deckers
The Lower Deckers are a fun, contemporary shanty group who hail from the landlocked counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire and are delighted to be involved in the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival. Following their tentative first gig fundraising for the RNLI in 2017, they have gone from strength to strength, performing regularly in festivals, pubs and cafes. They’ve sung at Hereford’s River Carnival and entertained residential homes. Their other festival appearances include Mevagissey, Teignmouth , Weston Super Mare, Bristol & Gloucester, Barry Island and Port Issac.
They are keen charity fundraisers and regularly hold gigs to raise funds for the RNLI as well as local charities such as Shropshire’s Mayfair Centre, Herefordshire’s Home Start and several local food banks. The Lower Deckers repertoire embraces traditional Shanties, songs of the sea and sailing, folk songs and more, with a few surprises along the way! They look forward to performing to you and promise plenty of Hearty Shanties & Sea Faring Fun
Mariners Away
Based on Dartmoor, Mariners Away have been captivating audiences since 2007 and are now in our 18th year of performing at festivals and other prestigious events. This year marks their 17th appearance at Falmouth!
In recent years Mariners Away have performed live on BBC Spotlight (twice), entertained on BBC Radio Devon & Cornwall, and even fired up the crowd at Exeter Chiefs. A standout moment came last December when they were honoured to perform at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth for their officer’s graduation dinner – a truly special experience at the UK’s premier officer training academy which is steeped in royal history.
Missin’ Tackle Shanty Crew
Following the success of ‘The Provident’ play in Brixham Theatre in 2015, a group of lads decided, as they had had so much fun singing together they would form a shanty group. Thus, ‘Missin’ Tackle’ came together. With very varied backgrounds in singing it is the camaraderie of it all that draws them together. Their love of the sea and the very different way of life in days gone by is brought to together in shanties and sea songs including some old favourites that everyone will want to sing along too. In the past twelve months, they have enjoyed singing in Brixham and beyond singing for many local charities. Like many shanty crews, their free annual quay concerts in the summer down under the Old Fish Quay on Brixham Harbour to raise funds for local good causes were very well received. ‘Missin’ Tackle’ are very pleased to return to once again be a part of the Falmouth International Shanty Festival 2025.
Molgoggers
Formed in 2012, the Molgoggers are an a-cappella sea shanty and maritime song group. This group sings a mixture of traditional sea shanties and contemporary songs and are based in the town of Cobh on Great Island, lower Cork Harbour. It was from Cobh that the RMS Titanic sailed on her fateful voyage.
Month’s Advance
“But we answer to the name of Month’s Advance…”
Emily and Josh’s music takes an irreverent stance on history, places and people, and combines originals with traditional songs from the days of sail, peopled with handsome cabin boys, Jack Tars and unfortunate tailors pressed into service on the briny.
The Month’s Advance crew of 2 accompany Emily’s folk vocals and Josh’s shanty-man tenor with a mix of fiddle, ukulele, double bass and shouting. Their favourite part of a folk set is that everyone gets to be in it, so bring your glass-bottomed tankard and watch out for stray shillings!
Nankersey Male Choir
Nankersey Male Choir – based just across the Penryn River at Flushing.
A male choir composed of individuals from differing jobs and homes, with varied temperaments yet united in their love of music, and when the baton is raised, they are ‘as one”. They sing a varied repertoire of popular, classical, sea shanty and folk songs. Accompanied by Michael Uren and led by their Musical Director, Elaine Tangye.
New members always welcome, Monday 7.30pm Church Hall Flushing.
Nordet
This year will be the thirteenth time Nordet have participated in the “Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival”. For more than 35 years Nordet has been performing traditional sea shanties and its own creations. The crew knows how to make people dance and sing in a festive spirit. Nordet have sailed from Lorient, their home port, to New York; from Paimpol to Liverpool and from Hoorn to Douarnenez. These five sailors, exuberant and joyful, will embark the audience, from dead calm seas to storms, from the middle of oceans to the docks, and from Breton taverns to Cornish pubs. So welcome on board you sailors.
Odds & Sods
Odds n Sods are as the name implies are a group of like-minded friends who enjoy singing together, over the last three years we have raised over £6500 for various local charities.
This will be our second visit to Falmouth and if it’s anything like last year, will be a blast.
Oll An Gwella
Oll an Gwella hail from Newquay and wow audiences with their mix of Cornish, folk, seasonal and shanty songs presented a capella with a self-deprecating humour. A passion for Cornish culture & heritage resonates through their performances which include elements in Kernewek (the Cornish language). They have appeared live on BBC TV, ITV and Radio Cornwall and represented Cornwall at the prestigious Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Brittany as well as performing on the main stage at Boardmasters, but they are equally at home in a community hall or care home.
Oll an Gwella sing for pleasure but also for charity, raising thousands of pounds each year.
Pirates of St Piran
The Pirates of St. Piran are a St. Austell based nonprofit, charity fundraising group, who perform all over Cornwall and Devon to raise money for local charities. So far, they have raised over £100,000 for local charities including Children’s Hospice Southwest, The RNLI and the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, along with many other charities and good causes in their area.
The group are a rocky rumbustious sea shanty crew who perform in full pirate costume, playing at festivals, pirate events and taverns all over Cornwall and Devon. They sing traditional sea shanties and their own original songs of the sea.
Port of Bristol Shanty Crew
This group are a crew of mates who just love to sing traditional working shanties along with more modern maritime songs and Bristol sea shanties, some written by their crew mate Nobby Dye. The Port of Bristol Shanty Crew mantra is “Fun and Friendship, Melody and Mirth”; they sing anything with a nautical theme and a good tune or a good lyric, but their priority is to enjoy themselves and to entertain their audiences.
The group give their time for free to support festivals or charity fundraising events. 100% of the money they raise goes to support the excellent work of the Teenage Cancer Trust, in the 30 months since they have formed, the group have raised over £42000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Portsmouth Shantymen
The Portsmouth Shantymen have been described as a “power harmony group” who specialize in Sea Songs.
They were formed in 1978 when the Christchurch Festival unexpectedly found itself without a Shanty Crew, which almost certainly makes them the longest continually running Shanty Group in the UK.
Since then they have performed at festivals, historic ships including HMS Victory, clubs, book launches, schools, charity events , on Television and many other places too numerous to mention. They have performed all over the UK , the near continent and the USA, and over 45 years later they are still going strong!
Press Gang
Based in and around the St Austell Bay Area, The Press Gang are a group of eight singers and musicians who perform foot-stomping shanties, melodic songs of the sea and songs of their beloved Cornwall.
Well established and revered by audiences near and far, they are known for reworking traditional shanties and folk songs into their own harmonious, energetic style and mixing Cornish tradition with raucous entertainment.
From grand stages to small intimate venues, The Press Gang have been taking audiences near and far on maritime and Cornish heritage voyages through songs and shanties for well over a decade.
Come, stomp your feet, clap your hands and let them immerse you in the captivating melodies of the sea and Cornwall.
River Notes
The River Notes are a mixed voice choir singing together since 2016. They take part in supporting many community events and perform a broad eclectic repertoire including popular tunes, Christmas carols and, of course, shanties. They have previously performed in a variety of locations even once in a shop doorway.
This group has an appetite for a good old time and are proud to be a non judgemental, a choir for one and all. They invite new members to join and ensures everyone will receive a warm welcome. Singing is a proven tonic for the Soul. What’s not to love?
Rive Notes meet every Monday during term time at the Falmouth Cricket club 7pm to 9pm.
Rum & Shrub
Rum and Shrub Shantymen are Cornish singers with a worldwide reputation for lively singing of shanties, sea songs and folk songs. Performing since 1991, their name comes from a well-known local drink reputed to have been enjoyed by smugglers.The group has performed throughout Europe, the USA and the UK and have produced many recordings of their singing with copies at all outlets. Rum and Shrub have appeared at Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival every year since its inception and are looking forward to doing so again in the company of friends old and new.
Seaweed in the Fruit Locker
Seaweed in the Fruit Locker is an LGBTQIA+ sea shanty choir formed by artist Rhys Morgan; exploring queer motifs within seafaring history and collective performance in marginalised communities through the tradition of shanty singing.The choir have used their lived experience to rework existing shanties and inspire new ones, continuing the tradition of these hybrid folk songs being adapted time and again through generations and across cultures.LINKSIMAGE CREDIT: Dom Moore
Severn Whalers
Severn Whalers are delighted to be returning to Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in 2025. They are a 4 piece A-Capella crew, singing shanties and songs of the seas, based to the North of Bristol along the banks of the River Severn.
Severn Whalers love to perform songs both traditional and modern, and you will often find them supporting the vibrant and often boisterous shanty scene in and around Bristol – as well as at festivals both near & far.
Shanty Sam Wheatley
Shanty Sam returns for his second Falmouth festival. You may have also seen him be featured in many other festivals around the county, where he has been honing his skills, adding to his set lists and having far too much fun doing it! His repertoire includes all the traditional favourites, other songs of the sea, and his own songs that will make you laugh, cry, or even blush! Each set is also unique to each performance, so make sure you try and catch them all for a chance to hear your favourites!
Sheringham Shantymen
The Sheringham Shantymen were formed in 1990. Over the last 35 years the group has developed its own style of performing songs of the sea, refining their music and always trying to entertain the public whilst raising funds for the RNLI and other charities.
The group has remained true to it’s roots as volunteers of the RNLI and still maintains a very close connection with the life-saving charity, which is reflected in the membership and badge they wear with pride.
The Sheringham Shantymen have performed in the UK, France, Germany, USA, Ireland and Holland over the years and we are delighted to be invited back to Falmouth for the 20th time this year.
Short Drag Roger
After celebrating their 20th anniversary with a sell-out theatre concert, Short Drag Roger continues to bring shanties and sea songs to the landlocked people of Oxfordshire and further afield. With their unique close harmonies, the group performs at shanty and folk festivals all over the UK and Europe as well as pubs, theatres, village shows, and other venues closer to home. Their a capella repertoire includes traditional shanties, more modern sea songs, and several they have written themselves.
Short Drag Roger also run interactive workshops where participants experience the tangy flavour of shanty singing, and life, on board ships in the days of sail.
Simon The Shanty Harpist
Far from the crying gulls, the breaking waves, the desert isles
Where once lurked the ancient mariner and the press gang vigilantes,
Beyond the sea-soaked quay, the narrow harbour and the moorings
You may find a harpist singing shanties.Is it yet the desolation of the minstrelsy of knowing
That the rushing of the sea-wind is the calling of the tide?
Is it restlessness or longing or a riptide in the soul
That sends a Shanty Harpist far and wide?So do go down to the lonely sea, the lonely sea and the shore
And hear the strings a-pinging to the songs that yet bewail
The sorrows of the sailors and the dangers of the deep,
And treat yourself to several pints of ale!
Sloop Groggy Dogs
Sloop Groggy Dogs are Bedfordshire’s favourite lively Shanty Band. Audience involvement is their goal at every event. From 8 to 80 this group has a little something special to appeal to all.
They have done many beer festivals, charity fund raisers, concerts, parties, pickle nights, wakes and weddings! Come and see them – you’ll have some fun!
Stuns’ls Shanty Group
Stuns’ls were formed in Mevagissey, Charlestown and Truro Cornish Pilot Gig rowing clubs and named from one our earliest songs “Old Maui”. Stuns’ls is sailors slang for the Studding Sail, an extra sail that can be hauled out on a square-rigged vessel’s yardarm to run in light winds.
We are a light-hearted bunch, who doesn’t take life to seriously and have a lust for harmonies, always seeking out that extra note. Over the last two years we have had the honour of singing for King Charles and the Queen consult, played a part in Rick Steins Cornwall (2021), and are the voices for Visit Cornwall’s G7 campaign, whilst also performing for German TV and singing at the Bremen International Shanty Festival in Germany.
We strive to make those chords ring and to put a smile on spectators faces, whilst ensuring that we promote Cornish harmonies and songs of the sea.
Suitcase Singers
The Suitcase Singers – are a 50 strong community choir led by Musical Director, Claire Ingleheart and based in Penryn. Being by the sea, they have a love for shanties and folk songs, old and new and have a rich repertoire of traditional Cornish songs and contemporary songs that reflect the incredible stories of our Cornish heritage.
The 5 Men Not Called Matt
5 Men have been singing together for over 20 years in pubs, clubs, boats and anywhere else they can find. This is the groups 13th appearance at Falmouth, their favourite festival. The 5 Men Not Called Matt are looking forward to meeting friends old and new.
The 85ers
The 85ers are a shanty group made up of 5 active sea going lifeboat crew from RNLI Portishead. Fully acapella, They sing a wide range of shanties. The group was formed during a lock down in 2021 and have been regulars at Falmouth ever since. In 2023 The 85ers got to sing for the King at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle and last year they sang at in the Great Hall at Stormont in Belfast and at the Remembrance service in Paddington. You still cannot however beat the crowds of Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival!
The Chantry Buoys
The Chantry Buoys, the original and youngest East Devon shanty group, singing for fun and local charities, originally formed in 2016. We keep on going through storms, monsoons, viruses, nothing stops us!
The Countrymen
It’s difficult to find a musical genre that would fully describe The Countrymen, but Folk Rock Harmony comes close. A five-piece band featuring tight four-part vocal harmony and strong instrumentation.
Primarily performing original songs and their own arrangements of lesser-known contemporary folk, the band’s lyrical inspiration is drawn from life in Cornwall, the demise of local industries and other rural issues that resonate throughout the country. The Countrymen are accomplished performers, engaging the audience with light-hearted banter and back-stories to their songs.
The DerryAirs
The DerryAirs all live in and around Downderry in beautiful south-east Cornwall on Whitsand Bay. Forming up in 2019 they now comprise 6 including guitarists and a bodhran drummer.
Whilst sea shanties are central to their repertoire, the group also enjoys singing popular folk and local songs, and have even now added their own songs to their repertoire. Music and lyrics are written by Kevin Weaver and Kevin Done with arrangements by The DerryAirs. Their debut album (available on Spotify, Apple music etc) includes the title track Trafalgar Way along with The Wreck of the Gipsy, The Seaton Mermaid and The Ballad of Silas Finny.
The Following Seas
The Following Seas shanty group was formed in 2022 to provide music for the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Fairwinds Mission Centre and more generally to the Shanty Festival of that year. In the end, he didn’t show up, but the choir still sang. Following this slightly ill-omened beginning, the group has reformed for this year, but now to take part in the festival more generally.
The group ranges in age from 20s through to 70s, and while many of its members are associated with music-making in King Charles the Martyr Church in the centre of Falmouth, not all are. The group’s unique selling-point(s) are its inclusion of new arrangements of existing shanties that combine a folk and Jazz vibe, of classical songs with a nautical flavour (including solos) and a rigorous approach to harmony that sees the group split occasionally into as many as 8 parts.
The group is led by Richard Bailey, who also serves as Director of Music at KCM.
The Harry Browns
The Harry Browns are the longest serving group from Bristol. Named after the old Harry Brown sand dredger, they began singing as a “super group” in the late 1980s and expanded their repertoire to include a wide range of songs of the sea including contemporary and self-penned songs. They have toured Europe and sung at major festivals in the UK and abroad.
In addition to researching and giving life to many forgotten songs, the Harrys are renowned for their musical arrangements and harmonies, their humour and spontaneity.
Every Harry performance is unique and engaging. You have been warned!
The Longest Johns
Having met and bonded over sea shanties across a kitchen table in their native Bristol a decade ago, The Longest Johns – Jonathan ‘JD’ Darley, Andy Yates and Robbie Sattin – have sailed the seven seas in the name of the “rock ‘n’ roll of 1752” to grace the stages of international folk festivals, tour the UK, Europe and North America, and appear on TV.
To celebrate ten years of pitching and rolling in brotherly harmony, in October the band are set to release a tin anniversary edition of their self-released debut EP Bones in the Ocean. That follows their latest tour of Canada in September as they build towards the release early next year of a new studio album – their ninth but the first as a three piece following the departure of co-founder Dave Robinson in May.
By any standard The Longest Johns have enjoyed a whirlwind of a journey these last ten years. As well as eight full length albums, they’ve released four EPs and nine singles, including the 2021 version of ‘Wellerman‘ that began a sea shanty craze on social media as a 150 year-old folk song from New Zealand became a worldwide viral sensation, sweeping the group to the #2 berth on the US Spotify Viral Chart and #5 Global.
They’ve racked up more than 500 million streams across all platforms, signed up more than half a million YouTube subscribers and logged some 200,000 hours watched on Twitch. Their gaming partnerships include Sea of Thieves and Wanderworld and they’ve recorded the soundtrack to No Man’s Wife, a new film made by the co-producers of the Fisherman’s Friends films
The Monkeyfists
The Monkeyfists are the UK’s most landlocked shanty band. Now nine strong, with many instruments, and enjoying playing live for more than ten years! The last 12 months for the Monkeyfists involved a rich mix of festival stages, new streaming releases, an RNLI gig in an old cathedral, and even a stint on stage in London’s West End for a certain pasty company (la-dee-dah!).
A foot-stomping, carousing, singalong awaits you. Come! Be their ragged (but honest) crew, doing old sea songs, folk songs, recent covers, and drinking songs too! The Monkeyfists pride themselves on an authentic atmosphere and fun times.
The Navy Larks
The Oggymen
If our history forms the people we are, then it is the places we inhabit that shape the people we become. Our love for the history and the community of our hometown, Falmouth, is intense but unsentimental. As we grew up, it was folk songs that bound us to this special place. Our fathers sung them in male voice choirs, our brothers sung them at Falmouth Working Boat regattas, our sisters sung them at Pilot Gig Races and we all tried to sing them down the pub…
For over a decade, The Oggymen have championed contemporary Cornish folk music and celebrated those songs that bind Cornish people to their community and to their past. We are known for our tight harmonies and rousing performances that convey the rugged beauty of the Duchy and celebrate her peerless industrial heritage. The Oggymen’s performances at this year’s Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival will feature new musical arrangements that will captivate the heart of the every Cornishman or Cousin Jack.
The Orkney Sea Shanty Society
Travelling the full length of the country to perform at this year’s festival are the Orkney Sea Shanty Society. A group of friends and family from the islands off the north coast of Scotland, they’ve been playing and singing together for many years, both informally and in Orkney’s thriving traditional music scene. After an impromptu invite on stage in 2023 by the Barnacle Buoys, the group is excited to return two years later to share a lively set of traditional Orcadian songs, tunes, dances, and some familiar shanty favourites!
The Orwellermen Sea Shanty Crew
The Orwellemen are a rollicking Shanty Crew who throw open their arms—and their songbooks—to one and all. Whether you’re a seasoned sea dog with salt in your veins or a landlubber dipping your toes into maritime melodies, you’re heartily welcome. They gather at the Steamboat Tavern, on the banks of the Orwell in Suffolk, to belt out shanties and songs of the sea. Their performances are brimming with energy, and they’ll have you singing along in no time. Come for the songs, stay for the camaraderie!
This year they are CYCLING from the East Coast to perform at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival.
The Out Of Tunas
The Out Of Tunas rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the pandemic. A gentlemen’s club with a difference, now recording their own original songs. Sometimes described as ‘the bad boys of shanty’ or ‘a drinking club with a shanty problem’, this group will be performing at Falmouth’s International Sea Shanty Festival and playing through the speakers at full volume!
The Perraners
The Perraners are a long established and eclectic group from Perranporth who sing Cornish songs and songs the Cornish love to sing. With a huge repertoire including sea songs, shanties and lullabies in 5 part harmony, they can often be found at The Seiners Arms by the beach in Perranporth on a Tuesday evening, with glass in hand, in full voice! The Perraners were delighted to be invited back to sing again at The Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival and are excited to be taking part alongside so many other talented singing groups.
The Rusty Tubs
The Rusty Tubs are a mongrel band of 10, A Cappella, sea shanty singing Jack Tars. As one of the country’s rowdiest shanty sides, they sing traditional sea shanties, songs of the sea, military songs, protest songs, folk songs, working songs & drinking songs. They are all based on traditional themes: being at sea, drinking, shagging, not shagging, working, getting mistreated, fighting, tragedy, poverty & general skullduggery. The Rusty Tubs are loud, rough & ready, with a punk attitude, but a certain style. Drunken revelry is a certainty!
The Solent Shanty Buoys
The Solent Shanty Buoys are a group of friends who enjoy singing shanties but also some lesser known songs of the sea. They are thoroughly enjoying being able to perform again in Falmouth. They also love performing at birthday parties, sailing clubs, beer festivals and micro breweries…..can’t think why!! They enjoy performing to a wide range of audiences, always encouraging audience participation.
The Solent Shanty Buoys’ chosen charity is Wetwheels, a charity which offers access to the water for disabled people with a safe, barrier-free, enriching experience, whatever their situation.
Treizhadenn
Treizhadenn is a Breton group (Crossing in English) coming from the Paris area.
It is composed of musicians (vocals, chromatic accordion, flutes, saxophone, bombardes, bass guitar and percussions). Treizhadenn is 18 years old. They perform throughout France and abroad in Wales and Cornwall. Their repertoire is almost exclusively composed of group creations (music and lyrics) is dedicated to the sea, sailors and Brittany.
Most of them are dance tunes from different terroirs of Brittany and Celtic countries.
Teizhadenn have recorded four CDs. For more details you can visit their website, where you will find videos and CD extracts.
Wellington Wailers
Hailed as ‘Sea Shanty Favourites’ in their native Shoreham-by-Sea, the Wellington Wailers were formed in 2012 by a small group of likeminded ‘sea dogs’ interested in singing traditional shanties. Their repertoire has expanded to include a number of ‘fore-bitters’ and some more bawdy favourites.
The Wailers regularly fundraise for the RNLI, contributing over £11,000 to-date.
Their performances focus on humour and enjoyment, with a harmonious and rousing sound that fans adore. Everyone is encouraged to join in with any mischief and shenanigans that the Wailers embark on
Will Keating
Will Keating’s passion for his home county of Cornwall shines through in his music. The award winning singer song-writer, also one of the members of popular Cornish male singing group The Oggymen, has wowed audiences far and wide since embarking on a solo career in 2017. Two sold out headline performances at the iconic Minack Theatre, cemented Wills reputation as one of Cornwall!s stand out performers. Will is also known for his involvement in various community projects, including organizing and performing at various events, workshops, and cultural festivals. His contributions to the community often extend beyond music, promoting Cornish culture and supporting local initiatives.
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