Seven sailors and a festival

Seven Sailors and Festival

It was a warm weekend in October, the tides were high and washed onto Lancaster's quayside were five surprised seamen, two officers, a Mayor, a Mayoress and a medley of musicians.  It was the second Maritime Music Festival to be held in October and the gods were smiling. Nobody quite knew what was expected of them, nobody minded, and with the photo opportunity dutifully delivered courtesy of Garth Hamer from Lancaster Guardian, the promise of beer and something fishy at the Three Mariners was hard to resist.

From then on, musical mayhem combined with nautical camaraderie to produce a weekend second to none.

Singer/guitarist Mikey Kenny from Ottersgear gently backed Friday evening with distinctive vocals as the HMS Lancaster crew settled into a weekend of hospitality in their namesake city. “What are our duties?” they asked, and the reply was “ Look after the ladies and generally look lovely!” which they did with style. 

Saturday dawned bright with the promise of raucous comedy and acoustic folk followed by tongue in cheek harmony from The Saggie Bottom Girls. That was just at the Three Mariners

We were not disappointed. When not being filmed or interviewed by Lancashire One, performers excelled and the seamen and officers joined in with gusto, especially when dragged uncompromisingly on stage by The Thursday Girls in their uproarious comedy “Dockside Doxies”. Seven sailors, one each. Sounds good to me.

Meanwhile, along the quay the Maritime Museum opened its doors to hordes of children dragging parents: Jolly Jack Tar co-ordinated a fairly frantic afternoon of Nautical hat-making and hoisting a stray Thursday Girl across the stage by block and tackle to sanitised seamen's shanties courtesy of Lune Deep

Wagon and Horses hosted a quiet afternoon of folk, but really took off with Heidrum, rousing Irish Celtic rock played by rip-roaring Scots, and packed with an appreciative audience.

Sunday morning began dutifully enough with a charming service in the beautiful St John's Church, a testament to extraordinary architecture, wonderful acoustics and the congregation's willingness to sing four or five to a hymn sheet.

Carrying the show were Shaun Pirtijarvi, Henry Page and Christopher Jotischky-Hull of the newly formed Lancaster Baroque Soloists, who explore a range of styles and countries in their music from the Baroque era (1600-1750).

Shaun excelled on sensitive, confident organ using its full range and the acoustics of the building, from subtle to magnificent, while Henry's cello held a warm, resonant baseline. Christopher's violin playing was intricate and complex.  Look out for this accomplished group in the future!

lancasterbaroquesoloists@gmail.com

A jolly “Sailor's Hornpipe” from Rev. Harrop piped us out into the sunshine and more music, mayhem and beer on the quay.  It's a terrible life.

More of everything next year, I promise!  This was a new idea and a starter for a big event in the Maritime programme.

The sailors were last seen enjoying Lancaster's hospitality, evidence of which is on mobile phones across the city, but we promise not to pass this on to their officers just yet. Apparently the whole ship now wants to sign up for next year's Festival and they all said it was better than being posted to Afghanistan.

Back on the quay, the Maritime Museum had opened its doors once more to hornpipe steps with Northern Frisk.  Meanwhile a swelling afternoon of music at Wagon and Horses kicked off by Maritime Folk, then child-free Northern Frisk and continued with a veritable session led by old salt Barnacle Bill.  Many thanks to all performers who dropped in.  Is folk music back on St George's Quay?

Folk on Folk arrived in style: a rapid hour of feisty delivery, stunning 18^th century costuming and general bonhomie, paving the way for a tight and lively set: who else to close the Maritime Music Festival but Baksheesh, stunning gypsy rythms from Nic on fiddle, Lily and Matt providing raw trumpet and sax and swirling mermaid Desna, belly dancing the maritime theme as only she can.  A thoroughly professional finish to an eventful weekend.

www.lancashireone.com (film of whole Music Festival best found by scrolling right down its facebook page to 17^th October entry)

www.lancasterbaroquesoloists.co.uk for bookings and info.