Short Drag Roger

Short Drag Roger, by their own admission are committed land-lubbers who like to remember the bygone days of sail and sing heartily in remembrance of it.

Short Drag Roger began just after the turn of the millennium in the landlocked village of Chalgrove, Oxfordshire. Like true shanty men we sing traditional sea shanties, some dating back as far as the sixteenth century. We sing in strict work rhythm, to keep the true character of work songs. However the rich and exotic chorus harmonies are all our own! In keeping with tradition, we also write our own shanties, and audience participation is an essential part of any Short Drag Roger gig.

We strive to provide our audiences with a better understanding of what shanty men (and crew) did aboard the sailing ships of a bygone age, through a programme of occasional workshops.

We sing often in pubs and clubs, as well as large music and sea shanty festivals both in the UK and Europe. Regular bookings for corporate and military commemorative events have led to performing at some of Britain’s major railway stations. We rehearse every week, which gives us the opportunity to work on our unique harmonies and learn new repertoire. Short Drag Roger has grown from humble beginnings into a truly committed crew keeping shanties alive!

Having just celebrated our 20th anniversary with a sell-out theatre concert, Short Drag Roger continues to bring shanties and sea songs to the landlocked people of Oxfordshire and further afield. With our eight part harmony, we have performed at shanty and folk festivals all over the UK and Europe as well as pubs, theatres, village shows and other venues closer to home. We not only sing traditional shanties to our audiences acapella but also more modern sea songs and self-penned numbers.