Event Organisers - Want us to sing for you ?

Notes For Event Organisers Inviting The Secret Shore Singers to Perform

If you're organising an event where you would like to invite the Secret Shore Singers to sing, here are some guidance notes to assist.

About Us.

The 'Secret Shore Singers' began life following a Heritage Lottery Funded project, in partnership with the South Downs Society, about the heritage and songs of the South East Coast. This finished in 2017 and the Secret Shore Singers was formed to enable us to continue singing together, since when we have continued to add songs, harmonies and singers across Sussex.

For those who do not know us, we must point out that the Secret Shore Singers are not a formal choir but a joyful group who sing traditional shanties and sea songs unaccompanied, as they may well had been sung in the past on ships, inns and folk clubs.

Since 2017 we have been invited to sing at various events in Sussex and a few beyond. In keeping with our own origins, the events we support are usually charitable, educational or community based causes, and as far as possible we try and theme our choice of songs to reflect the event.

We do not charge a fee for our appearances, but if hospitality or gratuities 'in kind' are provided (e.g. refreshments, parking space, free entry to the event or complimentary tickets for partners) they are always appreciated.

On the website you find examples of the songs we sing and reports on some of the events we've attended. Photos of our performance can also be found on our Facebook page.

Planning our Programme of Events

We try to plan our event programme as early as possible each year to secure dates in our singers' diaries. Therefore, to enable us to approach our singers in good time we ask anyone inviting us to give us as much notice of their events as possible, ideally three months. However, because we know that this is not always possible, we don't rule our accommodating events at short notice if we can - subject of course to enough singers being available. Our current bookings arranged to date are listed on our Diary Page but we may be in negotiations with other organisations whose dates have not yet been posted. We are sometimes able to support concurrent events, but again, this is dependant upon the number of singers being available for each event.

Our performance groups are not the same every time. When we receive an invitation we canvas all our singers for their support (this can take three to four weeks to complete) and those able to attend form a small group for the event. This can vary from 30 or more singers for a large event, to around a dozen at smaller venues. We do not normally perform with smaller groups than this, unless specifically requested.

Hence our initial acceptance of an invitation is provisional until we are sure we have enough singers available to go ahead. We will let you know as soon as possible and certainly by any agreed deadline.

When we commit to an event we would appreciate it if you'd mention us in your advertising or programme literature, and if we regularly support your events and you have a website, please consider adding us as a link.

What We Need to Know From You

Here is a checklist for details to accompany your invitation please or, if not all are available, to follow or to negotiate as soon as possible thereafter.

• The Name of your Event - Also who is holding it and for what cause or purpose. If you have a website, please tell u where to find it.
• The Venue - plus address and location of performance.
• The Date or Dates of the Event - If your event is over two or more days please state the day you'd prefer us to perform.

• The Times and length of performance sets - We usually perform sets of 30/40 minutes (40 minutes maximum) and we are content to perform several sets with breaks between.
• Performance Setting - Indoors or outdoors, if outdoors, what provision if bad weather.
• Limits - maximum or minimum numbers of singers who should attend. We try to tailor the number of singers to the size and nature of the performance settings.
• What, if any, staging or amplification will be in situ - We normally sing without amplification and staging, but outdoors in windy weather or noisy surroundings may affect the range of our sound.
• Admission process for our Singers - Individual passes, a list of singers names to check in, or perhaps a member of the Secret Shore Singers with your staff at the entrance to verify.
• Parking - On site or in the locality. Although we make efforts to car share or to use pubic transport when practical, some parking is usually needed.
• Other Facilities - On site at the event (e.g. refreshments, toilets)

If you'd like to send us an invitation, or if you need further information about us, or want to discuss arrangements in more detail - please contact our Main Events Organiser at: secretshoresingers@gmail.com

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Our Music would not be where it is without the valuable input from our wonderful music coach, Emily Longhurst.

Emily is an experienced and gifted teacher of songs with a particular interest in the old songs of our culture. She runs a number of lively choirs with adults and children, and offers workshops exploring the delights of unaccompanied singing

Emily works in a variety of ways bringing song and singing to different communities, support both the Secret Shore Singers and the South Downs Folk Singers within the Worthing area.

Apart from these groups, Emily has developed a range of Tudor, Traditional Folk and Sea Shanty Song Workshops. She has researched and performed songs from all of the periods at dedicated heritage projects, museums and festivals, and she has had many opportunities to teach them to groups of  adults, families and children.

These workshops (which Emily would be happy to discuss with you)are supported by either grants or entry fees. Emily can be contacted by email on

emilylonghurst@hotmail.com