Fete de la Musique - 21st June 2012

Stop Press !!

The AudeShantyMen will be making surprise appearances at Cailhavel, Belvèze du Razès and Gramazie during the course of the evening.

AudeShantyMen fall under the spell of El Cau !!

Magical setting enchants Crew on first international gig

Inspired performance captivates Spanish and British alike

The  tiny, traffic-free hamlet of Esclanyà - its narrow streets almost lost in the mysteries of time - played host to the AudeShantyMen on Saturday night. The honey-coloured houses surrounding the church square echoed to the strains of the Crew who sang their hearts out at this, their first, concert beyond the border. 

Hosted by the inimitable Tere Axon, and her personable husband Tony - the formidable team who formerly owned the renowned "Star" in Lidgate, twice voted UK Pub of the Year - the 80 strong sellout audience wined and dined on the exquisite Catalan cuisine which is Tere's hallmark.

  

As the last rays of the setting sun gave way to the soft  blue velvet of the Costa Brava night, the AudeShantymen dipped into their extensive repertoire of rousing shanties, humorous ditties and appealing songs of love in bygone times. Somehow everything seemed perfectly suited to these fabulous surroundings and, despite the barrier of language, the Spanish members of the audience became more and more animated and involved as the evening progressed. 

Sharing the entertainment duties with the AudeShantyMen were the talented singers Els Mariners de Riera, a well known group in Catalunya who have been charming audiences since their formation in 1982. With their tender songs of love and life - the "habaneras" of Cuban origin -  delivered in perfect harmony to the haunting accompaniment of a sole acoustic guitar, Els Mriners provided the ideal counterbalance to the Crew and ensured that their British audience received a perfect introduction to this important musical genre. We hope that this will not be the last time that the AudeShantyMen have the pleasure of sharing an enthralling, melodic evening with our Spanish friends.

HASTA PRONTO !!

AudeShantyMen go international !!!

Crew to sing on Costa Brava in Spain

Saturday 16th June at Restaurant El Cau in Esclanyá for one night only - a unique evening of songs of the sea from two great ocean-going nations featuring Els Mariners de la Riera and the AudeShantyMen.

For possibly the first time, two outstanding nautical traditions will be presented side by side. Catalunya's "Habaneras" and the "Sea Shanties" of the United Kingdom have a good deal in common. They tell of work aboard, voyages to distant lands, life in foreign climes and loves lost and found ...

In Britain the sea shanty is part of the national fabric. The same is true in Catalunya of the Habaneras (the name, but not the music, comes from La Havana, Cuba's great port). Indeed, the Habaneras Festival held every summer in the nearby seaside town of Calella attracts thousands of visitors and is broadcast live on national television.

"The El Cau restaurant in Esclanyá is delighted to welcome these representatives of two great choral trtaditions. This is more than just an evening of singing songs. Not until that evening will each choral group become aware of the richness and depth of the other tradition. To join in the fun, book a table and tell your friends. You'll all enjoy it! "

Three course menu at €20.00 or à la carte. To reserve your table for this exceptional evening phone Tere on +972 30 51 56 or 661 357 475 

AUDESHANTYMEN add to ENTENTE CORDIALE at GRUISSAN !

Sea Shanty Festival a Massive Success !

The AudeShantyMen delighted audiences throughout a day-long event at the port of Gruissan last Saturday. They sang in the company of the 40 strong choir AR-VAG, who were hosting on their own patch, and a 30 strong group of shanty singers from Prades. In warm sunshine the three groups mingled freely, singing from their own repertoire to each other and the growing crowd of holiday makers. After a musical apéro the singers enjoyed lunch at La Rose des Sables before re-assembling to sing out the afternoon onstage.  Highlights aplenty but surely the outstanding memory will be of the many new enthusiastic friends the AudeShantyMen have made on this, their first and long-awaited, visit to the Mediterranean coast.

AudeShantyMen make Donation of €500.00 to SNSM Gruissan

Barry (Greybeard) Barcock presents the cheque to SNSM's Louis Labattut

At the start of proceedings it was with enormous pleasure and pride that the AudeShantyMen handed over  a sizeable donation to the local lifeboat station to help their vital work. We should like to thank all those who have so generously contributed at our gigs - particularly in Ginestas, Alaigne and Léran -  for making this possible. In the months ahead our fund raising efforts will be directed towards the RNLI.

Snippets of recent  AudeShantyMen news

We recently bade a temporary farewell to Graham (Gangplank) Dale who is currently enjoying a holiday in South America before flying off to work a short-term contract in the Republic of Georgia. We shall miss his irreverent witticisms - on and off stage - and look forward to his safe return towards the end of the year. "Bon voyage", Gangplank!

Happily to report, Ron (Albatross) Young is back from his travels around the world and is roosting for a spell in Alaigne. His harmonies have helped us maintain our musical level. Our ranks have also been swelled by the arrival of a new shantyman, Phil (Columbus) Glasson, whose voice we have admired for some time. We are delighted that he has come aboard. It was grand that he was able to make his début at Gruissan and we wish him many more pleasant voyages as a member of the Crew!