THE 2024 St Ives Shanty Shout burst into song across 11 venues who enjoyed a diverse range of performances for the eighth St Ives Shanty Shout.

For two nights the town echoed to the sound of rousing shanties and lyrical sea songs from around 250 singers from near and far.

The 30 or so groups represented included those whose members helped organise this year’s Shout such as Rumbellion, Spaven Mor and Sudden Squall, regular guests Kimber’s Men along with Dregs of the Crew who press ganged people from a range of crews to come together especially for the event.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of visiting groups and their audiences, impromptu ‘shouts’ went on late into the evenings.

Some Members of the many Crews at The Western Hotel.
Some Members of the many Crews at The Western Hotel (St Ives Shanty Shout)

A small army of Edward Hain Centre volunteers, identifiable in fuchsia pink t-shirts, set out with collection buckets to help raise funds for the St Ives’ health and wellbeing centre.

Ably assisted by guest appearances Betty from Cornwall’s Charity Maid and Pirate Pilchard from Falmouth, the magnificent sum of £5,109.49 was raised over the two days, despite the poor weather on the day.

The Shanty Shout now champions the Edward Hain as it’s chosen charity, and the money donated into the collection buckets will help to refurbish the remaining rooms ready for letting and go towards the outstanding mortgage.

Venues hosting Shout performances included The Bier Huis Grand Cafe, Cafe Art, Harbour View House, the Pilchard Press, the Queen's Hotel, and The Western Hotel which were joined by returning venue The Lifeboat Inn and new venues Host, Pedn Olva, Sea of Coffee and Tretho Lounge.

Dregs of the Crew at Tretho Lounge.
Dregs of the Crew at Tretho Lounge (St Ives Shanty Shout)

A spokesperson for Bamaluz Bootleggers, who started the Shout in 2016, said: “The Shanty Shout committee and Friends of the Edward Hain Centre would like to thank everyone who volunteered to make the weekend such a success, the groups who travelled far distances, the venues who kindly donated funding to ensure future Shanty Shouts, the volunteer collectors and all those generous people who came to listen and sing along.”

For more information, visit www.stivesshantyshout.co.uk or check out the Facebook @stivesshout.