Shantymen coming to Shelburne

On Saturday, July 11, The Osprey Arts Centre is presenting a special evening with the Yarmouth Shantymen, an a cappella singing group which performs traditional work songs from the age of sail.

This popular group has been singing since 1984 when Eric Ruff, then director of the Yarmouth County Museum, was inspired by the fact that the late 1870’s and early 1880’s were the golden age of sail for Yarmouth. The area had the second largest registry – by tonnage – in Canada. Yarmouth ships were found in every major seaport in the world.

What better excuse to form a group of men, many of them descendents of the sailors from the area, to sing sea shanties and work songs. Since 1984, The Yarmouth Shantymen have produced three CD collections of these songs.

Wayne Robicheau, James Colbeck, Eric Ruff, Gordon Rothwell, David Sollows, Mark Palmer, Bob MacConnell, David Mahoney, Brad Fulton, and Jim Rideout are The Yarmouth Shantymen. They sing such favorites as “Santiana” and “Leave Her Johnny”, but their repertoire is filled with unusual songs as well, such as The Anti-Shanty, about cheese.

The show is presented with fun and humour. The men insist that not all their songs are about drinking and women, but then sailors were rough fellows and The Shantymen honour that tradition. They also sing songs somewhat outside the tradition of shanties, such as Farewell to Nova Scotia which speaks of sailing away from home, and a pretty funny Elizabethan sailor’s song about a Chastity Belt and its missing key.

Tickets are $15, $5 for youth. They are available at The Whirligig Bookshop, 875-1117, or at the door. Seating will be cabaret.