Having had my computer down for a while and having been away - at festivals(!) - for much of the rest of the time, I have just caught up with this thread ...

I am really looking forward to the Getaway - meeting new friends and swapping songs and perhaps even picking up some more ideas for playing my English concertina. I will be with the Shellbacks and so would be assumed to be an expert at shanties. But, as has already been said, there are a lot of different interests and talents in the Shellbacks.

Personally, I tend to sing more sea songs than shanties, usually those with big choruses with lots of possibilities for harmony singing. My overall repertoire could be considered a bit of this and a bit of that but I do like to sing traditional songs, if anything specialising in the big chorus song. I am just beginning to accompany myself on the concertina on appropriate occasions.

I also do a lot of songs of unrequited love and have written a separate PM to Ferrara about the possibility of such a workshop. Beginning to get excited ...!

"As I was a-walking down by the sea shore ...!"
Alan