Kev
10-13-2007, 09:12 AM
Sea shanty show back on 08 stage
Oct 12 2007 (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/10/12/) by Ben Turner, Liverpool Echo
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/liverpoolecho/sep2007/0/4/F959FFF9-B9EA-559C-1F1BE082B1D11D55.jpg
CULTURE chief Phil Redmond today pledged to bring back a sea shanty festival left dead in the water when his board axed funding.
Organisers of the Mersey Shanty Festival, which celebrates the “spiritual home” of traditional songs, said the news would be “welcomed around the world”.
The event ran alongside Mersey River Festival for nine years and is a tribute to the mid-19th century, when Liverpool was a busy port and sailors sang shanty songs as they worked.
But it was sunk this year when culture chiefs decided to axe funding, feeling other applications were more deserving.
But speaking exclusively to the ECHO, new culture chief Phil Redmond confirmed the festival would coincide with the Tall Ships’ Race being launched in the city next July.
He said: “Part of the reason it’s coming back is due to the volume of correspondence saying it was something people wanted to happen.
“It is very much a special case and is based on timescale and the need for things to be put in place for the return of the Tall Ships in July.
“It is outside our Cultural Clearing initiative and will not affect or influence that or any other grants system taking place. When it comes to our maritime history, we seem to be in denial about it but it is something we should be looking at and with pride.”
He said the funding would remain “confidential” but the ECHO understand it is tens of thousands of pounds.
Delighted co-organiser Jack Coutts said: “This will make a lot of people very happy and hopefully the event will be the best yet.”
Singers from Norway, Poland, Italy, New York are expected to join local bands for performances on tall ships and at venues around Albert Dock.
Mr Coutts added: “Shanty is the rock ‘n’ roll of the sea and these songs are in the bloodstream of this city.
“Thousands of local people and visitors will be entertained by some of the very best shanty and maritime music performers.”
benturner@liverpoolecho.co.uk
Oct 12 2007 (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/10/12/) by Ben Turner, Liverpool Echo
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/liverpoolecho/sep2007/0/4/F959FFF9-B9EA-559C-1F1BE082B1D11D55.jpg
CULTURE chief Phil Redmond today pledged to bring back a sea shanty festival left dead in the water when his board axed funding.
Organisers of the Mersey Shanty Festival, which celebrates the “spiritual home” of traditional songs, said the news would be “welcomed around the world”.
The event ran alongside Mersey River Festival for nine years and is a tribute to the mid-19th century, when Liverpool was a busy port and sailors sang shanty songs as they worked.
But it was sunk this year when culture chiefs decided to axe funding, feeling other applications were more deserving.
But speaking exclusively to the ECHO, new culture chief Phil Redmond confirmed the festival would coincide with the Tall Ships’ Race being launched in the city next July.
He said: “Part of the reason it’s coming back is due to the volume of correspondence saying it was something people wanted to happen.
“It is very much a special case and is based on timescale and the need for things to be put in place for the return of the Tall Ships in July.
“It is outside our Cultural Clearing initiative and will not affect or influence that or any other grants system taking place. When it comes to our maritime history, we seem to be in denial about it but it is something we should be looking at and with pride.”
He said the funding would remain “confidential” but the ECHO understand it is tens of thousands of pounds.
Delighted co-organiser Jack Coutts said: “This will make a lot of people very happy and hopefully the event will be the best yet.”
Singers from Norway, Poland, Italy, New York are expected to join local bands for performances on tall ships and at venues around Albert Dock.
Mr Coutts added: “Shanty is the rock ‘n’ roll of the sea and these songs are in the bloodstream of this city.
“Thousands of local people and visitors will be entertained by some of the very best shanty and maritime music performers.”
benturner@liverpoolecho.co.uk