THE Archbishop of Canterbury will be joining thousands of revellers this weekend when he takes to the streets for the Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival.
Justin Welby, the most senior bishop in the Church of England, who recently made headlines over his comments on the deportation of migrants to Rwanda, will be joining a Falmouth and Penryn Churches Together for evangelical event when he arrives on Saturday evening.
The Archbishop will be out preaching the word of the Lord in Falmouth on Saturday evening during the town’s famous Sea Shanty Festival.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby arrives for the Easter Sung Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. Picture date: Sunday April 17, 2022. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire.
Falmouth & Penryn Churches Together will be holding evangelism training – running at Huddle during the day – and then the Archbishop will then be joining a team going out into Falmouth from 6pm to 9pm to share the faith as Holy Spirit leads.
An eight-page schedule of this year's Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival can be found starting on page 25 in this week's Packet newspaper. Unfortunately, due to a production error, the first part of Sunday's schedule has been missed. But you can see the all the pages with all the groups, venues and times here or under the Packet Supplement section on thepacket.co.uk. You can also find the full schedule on the sea shanty festival website at www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk
From Friday, June 17 to Sunday, June 19, more than 70 local, national and international sea shanty groups will perform in over 25 venues, in what has become the largest free maritime music festival in Europe.
Sea shanty groups will come together to perform on stages, in cafes, pubs, hotels and community venues, bringing the history, heritage and culture of maritime song to life in this vibrant Cornish port community.
With more than 50,000 visitors expected, the organisers have added an additional stage venue at Church Street car park, which overlooks the stunning Falmouth harbour.
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival returns for the first time in three years this weekend.
This new area will be packed with live performances as well as an arts and crafts market over the weekend.
By Friday evening, the festival will be in full swing, with shanty singers having arrived from around the UK and across the continent.
Planned to coincide is the Falmouth Classics regatta, one of the largest heritage sailing events in the UK. With more than 150 boats attending, the itinerary will include racing as well as onshore events, culminating in the spectacular parade of sail on the final day, Sunday, June 19.
The festival will kick off at the Skinners Stage on Discovery Quay (Events Square), from 1pm on Friday June 17, where European groups will be hosting their Breton Bash. Colourful and fun, this is a great opportunity for bands associated with the Breton culture and language to come together to celebrate seafaring and its associated music.
The festival will also host several all-female shanty groups, including Femmes de la Mer from Cornwall. Fresh from touring with renowned musician Ben Howard, they will be performing their unique blend of a capella harmonies, which has established their strong reputation within the folk and sea shanty communities.
It is a welcome return for the festival to Falmouth, following a required cancellation of the 2020 and 2021events, due to the Covid pandemic. The festival’s charity partner for 2022 will once again be the RNLI.
Richard Gates, festival chairman, said: “The International Sea Shanty Festival gets bigger and better every year and we are delighted to be able to bring the event back live to our special town this year.
“The festival is a brilliant example of community engagement, with hundreds of volunteers, organisations and businesses coming together with the shanty organising group to make it happen. From hosting the world’s media at the G7 Summit, to the acclaimed Falmouth Oyster Festival, Falmouth is a dynamic and creative destination, which punches well above its weight, attracting people from all around the world for its coast, excellent food and drink scene, bustling high street and community spirit.”
For information on the festival, including the detailed schedule, visit the website, www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk.
For information on the Falmouth Classics visit the website, www.falmouthclassics.org.uk
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