Southdown's Folk Festival
Another Festival successfully completed, this time at the Southdown's Folk Festival in Bognor Regis on Saturday 21st September. The Secret Shore were joined by 6 other groups singing throughout the day. Other Shanty groups from the local area included the Duck Pond Sailors and the Selsey Shanty Men. Individual singing sessions took place at the Southern Precinct end of London Road which were well received by visitors to the Festival. At the end of the day a Mass 'Big Sing' event took place involving 7 singing groups who performed their own individual songs and then two groups songs to finish off with.

September Shanty Practice Session

Seventeen of us gathered to sing on Tuesday. Not so many as usual, which may have been just as well since Emily had again kindly invited us to practice at their place, the Old House at Home being unavailable.

We ran through some of the more recent songs, Randy Dandy, Old Fid, Bold Riley, The Mermaid, MollyMawk and Northwest Passage. It was decided to try Bold Riley with the men singing the verses and women joining in the refrains. This seemed to work quite well.

After a break for refreshments which included a delicious toffee apple tray bake and home grown grapes – and feeling by now extremely relaxed - we sang MollyMawk very quietly and gently.  Before singing The Grey Funnel Line ourselves, we listened to a quick burst of the song on YouTube, as performed by Maddie Prior and June Tabor and an interesting version with the unmistakable voice of Dolly Parton with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris! We ended the evening with the beautiful Mingulay Boat Song.
Thanks to Emily, Jonny and the girls for allowing us to invade their home again.

Worthing Light Festival
Another local event supported by a good number of performers from Secret Shore. The Worthing Light Festival took place over the weekend of the 13th/14th/15th September with a day of performances by different groups outside of the Coast Café. Though not the most conducive location for singing the 17 performers who turned out gave their all which was well received by the organisers. We must had been ok as they have already asked as back next year. Discussions will take place how to improve the singing location though. A big thanks to local photographer SOPHIE HOLDEN for supplying us with and giving permission to post the wonderful photographs of us singing in support of the event. Check out the Gallery pictures.

Southdowns Festival

For the set for this Sat we'll use the one we did at Littlehampton, I think it contains all the ones we feel are currently our easiest and strongest ones.

So the list will be:

Sweet Ladies

Roll the Old Chariot

Rollin Down

Mingulay

Littlehampton Colliers

John Kanaka

The Bonny Ship the Diamond

Here's a Health

It's Time to Go Now

We're singing in the South Precinct, 1.30pm til 2.15pm so lets gather there a bit after 2.

The next event is the Worthing Light Festival. We will be performing from 2:30pm on Saturday 14th September. The aim is to meet up at Splash Point at 2:15pm. We will decide on the songs/shanties prior to our performance.