Rita Cherriman

The Shanty Crew were formed in 1976 with the group specializing in both traditional and modern sea songs. They are the longest established group singing traditional sailor shanties, in Britain. Two of the founder members, Chris Roche and Gerry Milne, survived the changes to record Let The Wind Blow Free. The release included such standards as ‘Rolling Down To Old Maui’ and ‘Haul Away For Rosie-O’. In 1986 the group appeared at the Liverpool and Douarnenez Sea Festivals. Inevitably, the line-up fluctuated again until Roche, teamed with Steve Belsey (the other founder member), Tony Goodenough, Phil Jarrett, Phil Money and Dominic Magog to record Stand To Yer Ground. With the addition of Goodenough, they have added French shanties to the group’s repertoire, as Tony speaks fluent French. In addition to researching and performing, Roche is editor of the Journal Of The Cape Horner Association, and holds the largest private collection of books and records of shanties and sailors songs in the world. Rita Cherriman was featured on 1996’s Sea Shanties & Sailor Songs.