Solent Shanty Sing
The Solent Shanty Sing project continued last week with performances taking place at Weston Shore on Wednesday 14th June and two performances on Friday 16th June
Singing groups from Weston Park Junior School and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School joined us at Weston Shore on Wednesday 14th with lots of parents and family as we sang the Southampton Sea shanties and songs that were composed with ideas from the children out to the sea.
On Friday 16th at West Quay we set up in front of the walls and ran two workshop performances in the sometimes punishing heat! The afternoon session saw Mount Pleasant Junior School, Freemantle Primary, Highfield Infants and St John’s Primary take part with a large audience sitting in the steps enjoying the performances of shanties from the songbook.
After school we hosting another performance which featured three primary schools from the Hamwic Trust – Wordsworth, Hollybrook and Shirley Infant and Primary schools. The music leads in these schools have been using the whole songbook as a resource for their singing assemblies throughout the year so they had selected some songs from the other regions involved in the commission (Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Portsmouth).
All the groups were all entertained prior to the event by the fantastic Southampton Salty Sea Dogs lead by Pauline McWilliams.
Miranda Boakes-Clark Teacher and Music Lead Shirley & Hollybrook Infants
“The children absolutely LOVED doing it. I think it was really special being down at the city walls and something they’ll always remember ...it’s so lovely to collaborate and make special things happen for our children.”
Friday 23rd June saw the final event of the Solent Shanty Sing Project which has run throughout this academic year in celebration of Year of the Coast 2023 and in partnership between Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Music Hubs. This event was particularly special as it was the first time that children from all of the participating music hub areas had come together to sing!
The event took place at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which was the ideal setting, with it’s rich maritime history and incredible wealth of heritage sites and attractions to visit. 200 children from each hub area (800 in total) were treated to an entire day of visiting the attractions such as HMS Warrior, the Mary Rose Museum and Portsmouth Hub’s specially created treasure trail, before being treated to an incredible display from the Royal Marines Marching Band and a massed sing of the Shanty Songbook.
Musicians from Folk Active, Southampton Salty Sea Dogs, Hampshire Music Hub and the English Folk Dance and Song Society were also present throughout the day providing live music for the children to listen to and enjoy as well as providing live music for them to sing with during their performance.
The children sang all the pieces from the songbook the 4 music hubs jointly commissioned for this project from composer and sound artist Emily Peasgood plus two extra arranged by Chris Ricketts. Each hub area choir had two songs to sing on their own which were shanties originally collected in their regions or newly composed songs based on ideas from workshops the children took part in the Autumn term. All 800 voices joined together for the three joint songs during the programme to a large audience in the square outside the Mary Rose Museum to an audience of parents, families, VIPs and spectators.
Mel Thomas (Teacher St Patrick’s Primary School Southampton)
“….the best event our school choir has had the opportunity to take part in! Thank you for inviting us to be part of such a wonderful event. It has given the children great memories that will stay with them and it has really encouraged their love for singing, music and performing in a choir. The impact the day has had on them was great.”
On Pupil from St Patrick’s said:
“I just don’t know how I’m going to describe to my parents everything I’ve seen and done today!”
