The Present Voices of the AudeShantyMen

                                             

Barry "Greybeard" Barcock lives in Villelongue D'Aude.  One May day,while talking with a chum from that village over a drop of grog, Greybeard realised that they both had a love of songs about the seafaring life. One thing led to another and "hey presto" the AudeShantyMen were conceived. The choice of name came later and reflects the beautiful department of France in which we all have the pleasure of living. Barry is unique among the Crew in as much that he has spent a not inconsiderable part of his working life at sea as an artificer - and proud he is of it! Rightly so! As befits this round and renowned figure his voice is the basso profundo that underpins our choral endeavours.

Tony (Mutineer) Fletcher also lives in Villelongue D'Aude. He first came to the Razès to spend five quiet months house-sitting. That is until he had the  good fortune (or otherwise!) to run into Magellan in a café. Before he knew it he had been volunteered for the Crew by his wife, Ann, who no doubt needed him  out from under her feet! And a valuable complement he has proved to be in the upper voice range, as he masters our repertoire of shanties. Even better news is that Mutineer and Ann, having at last found their own house, are now taking full advantage of everything our beautiful part of France has to offer.


  

David "Black Bart" Kyffin, having owned a property in the hamlet of Canterugues, in the Ariège for over a decade, has now retired and come down to live there full time with his wife Helen.  At a stroke he has become the youngest member of the Crew - a mantle reluctantly relinquished by Janner and Powder Monkey in turn! Rightly proud of his strong Welsh rugby-playing and choral roots, Dave contributes a worthy baritone to the middle reaches of the AudeShantyMen. Given his angelic smile and gentle manner he could hardly be more removed from  diabolical "Black Bart", the legendary Welsh pirate who ravaged the oceans in the 18th century.

Bob (Plimsoll) Gard lives in  Malviès, the village which is home to the internationally acclaimed Château Guilhem wine estate. He hails originally from the famous port of Bristol, his nickname in the band being a reminder of one of that city's eminent nautical sons. His family has salt in its veins. A distant relative - an admiral, no less - was a naval architect at the time of Trafalgar. Bob's weather-beaten face and twinkling eyes bear witness to long hours spent at the mercy of the oceans : he used to skipper 40 foot ocean racers and charter boats, often in exotic climes. We all look forward to the day when Bob is at the helm of a jolly boat while the AudeShantyMen sing their way through the islands of the Caribbean, or around the world!

Arthur (Pilot) Groves has lived in Mirepoix for the last ten years, after fifteen years working in the highest mountains in South-East France. So his maritime credentials are doubtful, to say the least. His nickname derives from the fact that he came on board to try and give a bit of assistance as President to the organisation of the group, having previously been unofficial sound recorder and film cameraman. However, in recent times he has also been conscripted into the singing line-up, on the grounds (he says) that enthusiasm is more important than vocal ability.

  

Dave "Gypsy Moth" Sheriton  arrived in France in 2015 and become a native of Loupia, looking for something musical that he hadn't done before, we finally persuaded him that singing shanties was the way to go. As a high tenor he filled a gap nicely, both vocally and by size. Some time before, he had spent a few years back in Blighty driving for a living and over a 3 year period, for which he drove 2000 miles a week, he covered enough ground to circumnavigate the globe over 6 times. At last, we had finally found someone to rightly claim the nickname "Gypsy Moth"!

Ian "Lookout" Shaw climbs things, hence his nickname. Until recently, he was the most recent member of the Aude Shantymen, until the new bloke turned up. That was before the even newer bloke turned up.

Howard "Strummer" Reed strums things and is a very tuneful addition to our ranks. He's a swallow rather than a resident, so we only see him seasonally. We celebrated his 60th birthday in 2022, so he is one of the youngest in the crew (everybody else being very old).

Flogger, the new bloke. Can't sing, struggles with life generally. Needs a haircut. Rides a motor bike. Has a nice wife. He immigrated to the Aude in February 2017, from Colchester, Essex, England, but remains bewildered by life here amongst his French hosts. He lives in Hounoux with wife, dogs and chickens. His nickname comes from an ancestor who was courts martialled for being held responsible for a sailor being flogged and who subsequently died. He was acquitted, by the way, the ancestor, that is.

Lofty, the newest bloke. He's still trying to figure us out, but he is doing well with learning the ropes. His nickname comes from the fact that he ain't very tall.