LOCAL residents will be saying ‘ahoy’ to the return of the Saltash Songs and Shanties Festival this year as a variety of international artists are set to join.
The swashbuckling event will be retuning to the town from June 15 to 24 and will be host to a bountiful program of music from across Cornwall and the Tamar Valley including folk, rock, blues, choral music and more in historic venues across the town.
The artist which will be headlining this years event are Wurlitza, the Martha Tilston Trio, the Diabel Cissokho Band, Bagas Fellyon, Barrett’s Privateers and Haunt the Woods.
On June 20, St Germans based Wurlitza will be hitting the stage to perform live soundtracks of classic silent films including the hilarious One Week with Buster Keaton and the Hitchcockian A Cottage on Dartmoor.
Cornish musician Martha Tilston will be available to watch on June 21 from the beautiful and historic church of St Nicholas & St Faith. Well known for her silken voice, Martha has performed on some of the worlds most iconic stages and has built herself a large world-wide following. She will be collaborating with Matt Kelly and Matt Tweed on the day, supported by the Saltash Shanty Singers.
Local Saltash resident and international musician Diabel Cissokho will be on the stage on June 22. He is set to be performing with fellow musicians from West and North Africa and St Neot’s Canoryon Lowen choir.
For a mix of traditional Cornish music and sea-faring songs keep an eye out for Bagas Fellyon and Barrett’s Privateers who will both perform on June 23.
If the array of music doesn't shiver your timbers, this years event also is set to feature a range of workshops to get involved in from shanty singing to samba drumming – kicking off with Saturday Scratch Band in partnership with Livewire Youth Music on June 15.
Other opportunities to take part include music for pre-schoolers in the library, tango, tea and cake with Tango Sonoro at the Social Club, a pop-up piano session on the Waterside and an acapella-harmony workshop with GraceNotes.
There will also be an afternoon of community music by the Tamar River on June 18 as well as folk music from Tipilperforming and the award winning Saltash Town Band in Victoria Gardens on June 22.
Tickets to this event will be sold with pay-what-you-feel options, making the event accessible to all.
The event is supported by Arts Council England through its open access National Lottery Project Grants, Cornwall County Council, the Scops Arts Trust, Sue Hooper Charitable Foundation and Saltash Town Council.It is produced by Salt Arts CIC.
More information and tickets are available at: www.songsandshanties.co.uk