Inspiration

Sea, Songs and Sailing

Join some of the superstars of the UK folk scene as they set sail along the south coast of Cornwall.

Anny of Charlestown is playing host to Seth Lakeman, Jon Boden, Ben Nicholls, Jack Rutter and Benji Kirkpatrick as they make their way by sea from concert to concert, on a mini tour celebrating the launch of their album of Sea Song Sessions on the 30th September.

‘Sea Song Sessions’ is a collection of British maritime folk songs and sea shanties. The concept for the album came to them in 2021, when they were asked to prepare an evening of sea-related songs for the Folkestone Festival. Boden’s celebrated work with Bellowhead (of course no strangers to sea-faring songs) and Ben Nicholls’ band, Kings of The South Seas (who play exclusively maritime-influenced music), Seth Lakeman’s own extensive body of work from the South West as well as Emily Portman and Jack Rutter’s sizeable oceanic repertoires, all formed the natural foundation and inspiration for these acclaimed musicians to conceive the Sea Song Sessions. They chose to record material from each artist’s repertoire, traditional songs and some newly written for these sessions.

On the tour, the group will be playing from Anny’s decks alongside in Looe Harbour, in the cargo hold of the Thames Sailing Barge ‘Lady Daphne’ in Charlestown, and in the atmospheric boat hall of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Not only can you see the Sessions live at one of these evening events, there are also a small number of spaces available to join the musicians on various legs of their voyage, enjoying not only some fantastic sailing, but also some incredibly intimate acoustic music on deck.

Join the ship sailing from Looe.

Join the ship sailing from Charlestown.

This tour, as well as the album itself, celebrate all that is great in our UK maritime music history.

Colourblind sailor and jumped-up cook

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