Shanty Festival’s Return

THE popular Old Leigh Shanty Festival is making a return next year, with plans drawn up to organise folk music and fundraising activities for good causes.

It is hoped that the Old Leigh Shanty Festival can step in and provide an appropriately nautical event in the Old Town after news broke of the recent cancellation of 2024’s Old Leigh Folk Festival.

This is due to increasing production costs and a struggle to find new committee members.

Hoy Shanty Crew member Tony Prior has performed at nearly every Leigh Folk Festival since it began in 1992, and explains that shanty music has “come into its own” with an increase in interest over the lockdown, and as well as “the Fishermen’s Friend films and the viral Wellerman shanty.”

Mr Prior added: “I thought it would be a good idea to bring shanties into the old town if the folk festival isn’t going to be there.”

The third Old Leigh Shanty Festival will take place from May 17 to 19, 2024. It will feature performances by around 15 shanty crews, along with other folk artists, dancers, the Thames Side mummers, pirates and bands.

On May 17, a “sing-around” session will be held at the Crooked Billet pub.

On May 18 and 19 a wide range of shanty crews and folk musicians will appear across the Old Town.

Mr Prior added: “This is a community event. None of the performers are paid, but we do raise money for charity.

“There’s no admission fee for any events. Frankly, that’s the way I think it should be.”

Last year’s event raised a total of £5,000 for both the RNLI and Leigh’s Endeavour Trust.

Picture: Hoy Shanty Crew grew out of Southend’s Anchor Folk Club.

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