Festival Chants de Marins Saint Germain-sur-Ille

The Festival Chants de Marins Saint Germain-sur-Ille. This is very much a local festival, organised by the French group, Sabord’Ille, inviting sea song and shanty groups from the region. It is held in a small town of less than 1,000 inhabitants found just north of Rennes in Brittany.

Run in 2003, this was the first festival of this kind in Saint-Germain-sur-Ille, and apart from Les Bordées de Cancale, there were no others before this in the department. 

On the musical menu the local host, Sabord’Ille was joined by Vent d’bout, from Saint-Brieuc, Cent Z’Escales, from Paimpol and Fins de Siècles, from Caen,  ” Four groups with quite different styles,” advised the organiser, Lucien Roffidal. “With each having a repertoire specific to his region or his home port, the programme will provide a great diversity to our festival where each visitor will be able to recognise well-known pieces or discover other singing maritime flavours from elsewhere. There will be something for everyone ”

The first festival was held in 2023 and proved to be such a success that it was held again in August 2024, with the addition of the group. “Godailles” from Rennes.

“We were lucky enough to be able to organise this event, here, on the lawn of the Castle, (the Château du Verger au Coq.)” said Lucien Roffidal. We also have this privilege of having been able to set up a photographic exhibition on the theme of Sea and nature, within the castle chapel. ”

Supported by the municipality, the Department and a financial institution, this festival hopes to receive many followers from the marine world. “It will be for us a development of considerable resources,” he advises.

The Festival Association is particularly associated with Doris, (*),  boats symbolic of the great fishing fleets in Newfoundland, an epic association that lasted several centuries. “Cod fishing has been an essential pillar of the maritime economy of European coastal countries,” explains Jean-Yves Leport, treasurer of the association. Produced in large numbers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these boats have profoundly influenced the maritime landscape.” They are now an integral part of the nautical heritage and are also recognised and sung about by the various marine singing groups.

(*) Note: The doris is a boat of American origin, made of flat-bottomed wood, of an overall length of five to six metres, propelled by rowing, sail or engine. It is quite narrow and somewhat pointed at both ends. The origin of the name is somewhat obscure – it may have come from the first name of the wife of the Canadian architect who designed this boat, whereas other sources suggest that it may have originated from the name of the River Douro.