Käpt’n Bligh

On their trips to the Polish twin town of Świnoujście, the singers of the Nordenham Shanty Choir have become acquainted with a new style of shanty singing over the past few years. Although the Shanty Choir, like the Polish groups, primarily sings traditional shanties, the sailors’ work songs, what was new, however, was the lack of any instrumentation.

When this same à cappella singing was performed by various groups during a week-long festival cruise on the Baltic Sea in 2005, the idea of ​​creating a similar singing group was born. Initial attempts were made on board the Banjaard, a traditional Dutch sailing ship on which the Nordenham Shanty Choir took part in the Baltic Sea cruise. à cappella singing represents a great challenge for the singers, but at the same time offers new and unusual possibilities.

The name “Captain Bligh” is a reference to the “hard hand” with which the captain of the Banjaard led her crew, the boys from the Nordenham Shanty Choir.
The pieces, all traditional, are arranged for “Captain Bligh” by Hergen Endlich. Other members include tenors Heinz-Jürgen Miek, Klaus-Ulrich Küpper (✞), and Jörg Walter; baritone Michael Niedzella and Peter Locker; and basses Heiner König, Hannes Miek, Günter Morawietz, and Otto Fegter. Lutz Moewes provides technical support for “Captain Bligh.”