Mystic, Conn. (January 21, 2021) — Mystic Seaport Museum announced it will hold its annual Chantey Blast as a virtual event, Saturday, February 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. The singalong event is a fundraiser to support the live performance of sea music at the Museum.
Sea chanteys (or shanties) are a form of singing developed to aid in the hard work of operating a sailing ship. The Museum has long been a leader in the preservation, education, and performance of the sea music tradition. Each year features live concerts and performances for visitors in our historic village, providing a unique setting to foster an understanding of the songs. For more than 40 years, the high point of the year’s program has been the Sea Music Festival, a four-day event that attracts musicians and audience members from around the world. The festival also hosts an academic symposium to present the latest scholarship on the subject. While the event is on hold for 2021 due to COVID-19, the Museum is committed to offering opportunities for mission-related live performances this summer and looks to the Chantey Blast to help fund the continuation of sea music on the grounds.
The 2021 Chantey Blast will be held via a live stream on Zoom and Facebook Live. A select lineup of chantey artists will lead songs and provide a background explanation to the music. The audience will be encouraged to join in from their remote location.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required and there is a suggested donation.
“This event is for both for those longtime fans of sea music and those who are wondering what the TikTok #ShantyTok trend is all about,” said Erik Ingmundson, director of Interpretation at the Museum. “This will be the first time we have been able to offer the Chantey Blast in a live, online stream and we encourage anyone with even a passing interest in the genre to tune in and join in the music.”
People may register for the Zoom session at:
https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/events/virtual-chantey-blast/
Live streams will be found on the Museum’s Facebook account:
https://www.facebook.com/mysticseaport
The Museum has posted a number of sea chantey videos on its TikTok account @mysticseaportmuseum.
Media Contact
Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317 (o)
860.333.7155 (m)
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org/
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org/ and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
