Solent Shanty Sing

In 2023 England will celebrate The Year of the Coast with the entire English coastline now accessible via footpaths and the longest signposted route in the World finally open.

A programme of cultural and heritage events will be happening across the country to celebrate this and Portsmouth Music Hub are working with Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Southampton Music Hubs along with other Hub Partners to bring a large scale Sea Shanty project to all of our schools!

Compositional Workshops

The project launched in Autumn 2023 with in-school compositional workshops. Led by Helen Mead, Portsmouth schools contributed musical ideas and lyrics to create original content for songs that have been included in the Solent Shanty Sing Songbook.

Solent Shanty Sing Songbook

The Solent Shanty Sing Songbook is a free resources available to all Portsmouth schools. The songbook, curated and arranged by musician and sound artist Emily Peasgood, includes new songs and existing shanties, some of which are specific to Portsmouth.

With 4 general shanties, 2 Portsmouth specific shanties and a range of warm up ideas, the songbook also includes background information about shanty songs and performance notes, to support teachers when using the resource in school.

Solent Shanty Sing at Portsmouth Dockyards

On 23 June 2023, over 800 children from Portsmouth, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Southampton will join together to perform a selection of shanties at Portsmouth Historic Dockyards! This massed performance, will be an opportunity for children to sing together for family and friends, and experience additional performances by Hub Partners.

Solent Shanty Sing Songbook