The 2019 festival was a huge success, filling the towns of Teignmouth and Shaldon with crowds of supporters, raising the profile of Shanties and the River Teign community, as well as raising £2,000 for charity via collections over the festival weekend. Sea shanties were essentially work songs, set to a rhythm for working, to reduce the monotony of undertaking repetitive tasks aboard ship. But they were also Foc’sle songs, which were storytelling verses to be listened to at leisure, to remind sailors of home and these helped to keep alive traditions and record local events and people. In the Teign estuary area we are blessed to have talented songwriters such as Bob Freshwater, who painstakingly research historical records and craft their own recording of such events and so keep them alive for future generations.
Sadly, due to the Covid situation, the 2020 festival had to be cancelled, but 2021 will be an even bigger and better festival, with at least 44 sets of shanty singing groups attending – up from 27 in 2019, coming from all over the UK. Also performing are Teignmouth’s very own Sea Shanty singing group, the Back Beach Boyz. In addition there are over 20 Maritime themed family friendly presentations & exhibitions.