Shanty Crew storm Chatham 

August 23: The Sandilands Shanty Crew staged a storming performance at historic Chatham dockyard in Saturday, wowing audiences and winning praise for their exuberant and accomplished rendition of a range of shanties. 

Shanty Crew storming it in Chatham (Photo Jackie Pontin)

The Sandilands Shanty Crew is an offshoot of Croydon Male Voice Choir, formed by nine members across the choir’s sections and named after the CMVC’s rehearsal base.  They have been singing for around three years, after starting up during the Covid lockdown,  and this was their biggest gig to date.

The crew sang in a variety of locations through the day, including the Mess Desk Restaurant and flash mob sessions in the dockyard Ropery, Mast House and Historic Lifeboat collection.

The Crew relax between shanties (Photo Jackie Pontin)

The culminating performance was on board the Victorian sloop Gannet, with pennants flapping from the rigging and an audience of around 200 crowding the decks.  Their shanties included Randy Dandy O, Wellerman, Leaving of Liverpool and John Kanaka.

They received resounding applause from the audience, as well as lavish praise from the Rogue Shanty Buoys,  the professional group who followed them, and from concert organiser Anisa Rashid, who told them: “I’ve had so many people say to me how much they enjoyed your performance.  You were all absolutely brilliant and the best group for the job.”

The crew on board (photo Mike Lane)

Bernard Maguire, the moving spirit behind the Shanty Crew when it started during lockdown, said: “This was a day to be proud of.  When we first sang together I had a dream that our group who develop into a crew who would perform to a high standard in prestigious venues.  Yesterday that dream came true.”

The nine who sang at Chatham (left to right in photo) were Steve Lloyd, Neil Pontin,Vic Wallace, Garry Stuart-Martin, Bernard Maguire, Mike Lane, Sam Davenport, Mark Hughes and Michael Pardon.