Seattle Chantey Sing

Upcoming  Events in Seattle and around the Pacific Northwest

Many events in the PNW include singing sea chanteys. Here's what we know for now:
(Updated  Sept. 3, 2025)   

Sept. 12th  Northwest Seaport Chantey Sing - 2nd Friday of the month
7:00 - 9:00 pm at Center For Wooden Boats, Wagner Education Center
Lake Union Park, Seattle
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Sept. 16th  Tavern Shanty Sing - 3rd Tuesday of the month
Jules Maes Saloon (5919 Airport Way S, Seattle) in the Georgetown neighborhood
8:00 – 10:00 pm.  Come and sing your favorite sea shanties and sea songs! 
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Sept. 18th  Seattle Pub Sing - 3rd Thursday of the month
St. Andrews Pub (7406 Aurora Ave N, Seattle) in the Green Lake neighborhood
7:00 - 9:00 pm.  Come and sing folk, pub, and sea songs
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Sept. 21st  Olympia Oral Tradition Pub Sing - 3rd Sunday of the month >>note new day and place
Cup of Swords Tavern (1005 4th Ave E, Olympia)
3:00 - 5:00 pm. Sing folk, pub, and sea songs at this event!
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Oct. 19th  Celtic Arts Foundation Pub Sing - approx. monthly
Littlefield Celtic Center (1124 Cleveland Ave, Mount Vernon)
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm. Singing with a Celtic theme, "chorus rich" songs led by a local singer and other song leaders, including you.
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Sept. 13th  3Rivers Folklife Society's Second Saturday Sea Song Singalong - 2nd Saturday of the month
Round Table Pizza (1435 George Washington Way, Richland)
6:30 pm. Focused on sea songs and chanteys, but not limited to those alone.
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Aug. 24th  Budd Bay Sea Shanty Singers Shanty Sing - approx. 4th Sunday of the month
Mercado's Restaurant (downtown Olympia) or Linda's House (317 Milroy St NW, West Olympia)
2:00 - 4:00 pm.  See website for exact dates and details
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Sept. 13th  Fall Fishermen's Festival

Fisherman's Terminal (3919 18th Ave W, Seattle)

• ​Strikes A Bell - 1:00 - 1:45 pm

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Oct. 3-5  Raise The Rafters Traditional Song Weekend

Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp in Rhododendron, OR

• • Workshops led by staff, as well as camper-led workshops and sings 

  • 2025 staff: Fae Wiedenhoeft, Nicole Singer & Becky Wright

  • Registration is open

What's a Sea Chantey?

Sea Chanteys (Shanties) were work songs sung during the Great Age of Sail, roughly the 1800s, when ships were powered by the wind and it took human power to lift the yards, set the sails, winch up the anchor, and pump the bilges.  A call-and-response song led by a chanteyman coordinated the labor so the crew acted as one to get the work done.  Other songs were sung aboard ships too.  Forebitters were the songs of leisure sung by sailors who usually hung out at the forward part of the ship.  Forebitters were were the  songs of home, love, or happier times ashore, and are often sung during Chantey Sings.  Chantey is also spelled Chanty or Shanty.

Where to Sing Chanteys in Seattle

Northwest Seaport hosts a monthly Chantey Sing, usually on the second Friday of the month at Lake Union Park.  The sing-along is hosted by experienced chantey singers, and members of the audience are encouraged to lead songs.  Don't worry,  at least some members of the audience are bound to know at least the chorus of the song.  Sign up to be notified of the location and date for each month.  The Chantey Sing is also streamed via Zoom, so get on the mailing list to get the link each month.

Where else can you sing or hear chanteys in the Pacific Northwest?

• The Northwest Folklife Festival is a great place to sing chanteys and hear maritime music each Memorial Day weekend at the Seattle Center.  The Maritime Showcase is a concert featuring favorite bands and artists, usually held on Saturday afternoon. Check the festival website in May for the schedule. Additional sing-alongs happen on Saturday and Sunday evenings at a local pub.  

• The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival occurs on the weekend after Labor Day every year.  On Friday and Saturday nights there is the Sea Shanty Circle from 7 to 10 pm in the Marina Room led by Chuck Lentz.

• Maritime Folknet presents occasional sea music concerts and workshops.  Their Yule Tide Concert is a December holiday favorite as is the Port Gamble Maritime Festival in August.

• The Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival occurs on the second Saturday of August at Port Gamble, Washington, a National Historical District.  The festival features popular maritime performers in a relaxed, park-like setting.

• The Tumbleweed Folk Music Festival held in Richland, Washington over the Labor Day weekend brings a number of maritime acts and many folk singers in a laid-back atmosphere at Howard Amon  Park on the banks of the Columbia River.  Nightly chantey and folk sing-alongs keep the nautical tradition alive.

• FisherPoets Gathering occurs over the last weekend of February in Astoria, Oregon.  Although Fisher Poets focuses on the written and spoken word, there are plenty of maritime music sessions around the festival.

How to Get Started Singing Chanteys

There are many books, videos, and on-line sources for learning sea chanteys and music.  A great introduction, Chantey Pathfinder,  guides you to learn more about sea chanteys.  Live chantey sings are very popular at the San Francisco National Martime Historic Park and on-line chantey sings are presented by the San Francisco National Maritime Park Association.

Seattle and Northwest Maritime Performers

Many musicians in the Pacific Northwest perform sea chanteys and sea songs.  Here are a few:

William Pint & Felicia Dale are known across the US and Europe as an exciting and engaging duo who weave traditional and modern music with the central maritime theme.  Harmonized voices blend with a variety of instruments — even a hurdy gurdy.  They perform online and at regular concerts at the Couth Buzzard in Seattle's Greenwood district, and have an extensive discography.

The Whateverly Brothers  are the eclectic trio of Dan Roberts, Chris Glanister, and Bill Murlin who bombard the audience with super harmonies and an arsenal of instruments presenting folk and maritime songs and tunes.  

Hank Cramer with a voice as big as the outdoors performs songs from many different genres: cowboy, Celtic, and chanteys.  Check out his performing schedule and diverse discography.

Strikes A Bell is an a cappella group that arose to perform at local festivals and special events.  They are exclusively maritime with the mission of singing singable sea chanties!  Contact: StrikesABell@gmail.com 

Matthew Moeller  "Cap'n Matt" writes and performs original maritime and folk songs as well as traditional sea songs.  

Shanghaiied on the Willamette perform songs plundered from land and sea. Jonathan Lay and Gordy Euler are based in Portland, Oregon.

The Shifty Sailors are homeported on Whidbey Island but make their way to local maritime festivals and events around the Puget Sound area.  They have an extensive repertoire and have recorded six CDs.

SeaStar is a blend of both the old and the new, the tranquil and passionate, the dramatic and playful. They master songs and stories that are Celtic in nature and songs of the sea.

Time & Tide has been playing a wide variety of maritime music at Puget Sound festivals,  clubs, and other venues for over 15 years.  Time & Tide also performs traditional and favorite songs and ballads from Americana, folk, gospel, and British Isles sources, featuring male and female leads and harmonies, both a cappella and backed by guitar, English concertina, fiddle, and bass. Audience participation is encouraged.   Contact: Simon Fitch sffitch@msn.com 

Alex Sturbaum is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist  based in Olympia, Washington, performing originals and folk music from Celtic, American, English, Canadian, and maritime traditions. 

Contact

Have information to add to our calendar?  Send an email to nwseaport@gmail.com