Sea Shanties

Tomahawk

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There is a sea shanty choir in L'aber Wrach by the name of Le Bentner (the N cardinal as you approach the entrance). They were singing and we suddenly realised the song was Dirty Old Town ...in French. Sounded lovely.
 

Gary Fox

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My favourite modern versions are by the Storm Weather Shanty Crew from Bergen. Mostly crew from the Statsraad Lemskuhl square-rigger.
 

JumbleDuck

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I once had a very jolly time in the Crinan Canal, singing shanties with the crew of another boat as we descended in the locks towards Ardrishaig in relentless torrential rain. The acoustics at the bottom of a lock are jolly good.

Favourite oldie: Padstow Farewell Shanty

Favourite modern one: Captain of a Dredger, by Adge Cutler. OK, I admit it. By the Wurzels.

Least favourite: Anything by the Fishermen's Friends, with their autotune and thumping bass.
 
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fredrussell

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Went to a sea shanty festival at Harwich a few years back. Ye gads, that was a long night. I asked one group if they would sing “Far Away”. They didn’t.
 

Slowboat35

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Bob Roberts (barge Cambria) was a superb shantyman, and while perhaps not a shantyman as such the Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers sang many wonderful and haunting songs of the sea - a man with a simply incredible voice - up there with John Baldry for richness and tone.
All three sadly now singing in venues inacessible to us - for the while...

David Coffin and Johnny Collins are names worth looking out for.

Anything associated with "assasins creed" (?) is well worth avoiding as it all seems totally artificial and about as 'authentic' as a BigMac.
 
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