Langesund Mandssangforening

Next Shantyfestival 

4^th to 6^th June 2010 

Langesund International Shantyfestival 

Some people would call it the main event in the springtime. Annually, in the beginning of June, shanty singers from all corners of the world meet in the beautiful town of  Langesund. You may hear shanties from almost every corner in town.

What is a shanty ?

Shanties were working songs used on board sailing-ships. The songs were mostly used when the job included several members of the crew that had to work in rythm with each other. Examples of this kind of work could be weighing the anchor, or hoisting or changing the large sails. There were different kinds of shanties for different kinds of jobs

History

The first Shanty festival took place in Langesund in 1991, and has developed into an annual event. The 15th festival, arranged by the Langesund Male Choir, took place in 2008. The festival is international, and the general idea is that the “songs of the sea” will be in focus the first weekend in June every year. For the Male choir of Langesund, this is a golden opportunity to preserve the traditional sea songs .