Fisherman's Friends
Encyclopedia
Fisherman's Friends are a 10-strong singing group from Port Isaac
, Cornwall
, who sing sea shanties
a cappella
. They have been performing locally since 1995, and signed a record deal with Universal Music in March 2010.
All the members of the group "grew up within half a mile of Port Isaac harbour" except for John McDonnell who is a Yorkshireman. Three are fishermen and the others linked to the sea through service as coastguards or lifeboatmen.
and the Cambridge Folk Festival
.
's documentary on sea shanties, shown in May 2010 on BBC 4, included a contribution from the group. The Fisherman's Friends have also starred in an advert for fish company, Young's.
Fisherman's Friends received The Good Tradition Award for keeping folk music alive and bringing it to new audiences.
Port Isaac
Port Isaac is a small and picturesque fishing village on the Atlantic Coast of North Cornwall, United Kingdom. The nearest towns are Wadebridge and Camelford, both ten miles away in opposite directions. Port Gaverne, commonly mistaken to be part of Port Isaac, is a hamlet that has its own...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, who sing sea shanties
Sea Shanties
Sea Shanties is the debut album of Progressive Rock band High Tide. The cover artwork was drawn by Paul Whitehead.-Production:Denny Gerrard produced Sea Shanties in return for High Tide acting as the backing band on his solo album Sinister Morning...
a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
. They have been performing locally since 1995, and signed a record deal with Universal Music in March 2010.
Biography
The members are: John Brown, Julian Brown, Jeremy Brown, Trevor Grills, John Lethbridge, Billy Hawkins, Nigel Sherratt, Peter Rowe, John McDonnell and Jon Cleave (MC) (the first three are brothers).All the members of the group "grew up within half a mile of Port Isaac harbour" except for John McDonnell who is a Yorkshireman. Three are fishermen and the others linked to the sea through service as coastguards or lifeboatmen.
- Jon Cleave is the MC of the group and also an author of children's books.
Repertoire
Their repertoire is extremely varied and includes both shanties and other nautical songs and some that are fairly lewd.Gigs
They performed at the 2010 Cornbury music festival in Oxfordshire, the Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and the Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
.
Recordings
The group had released two CDs themselves before signing with Universal; their first album with Universal, Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends, was recorded in St Kew Parish Church, Cornwall, and released in April 2010.Television
Gareth MaloneGareth Malone
Gareth Malone is a British choirmaster and broadcaster, self-described as an "animateur, presenter and populariser of choral singing"...
's documentary on sea shanties, shown in May 2010 on BBC 4, included a contribution from the group. The Fisherman's Friends have also starred in an advert for fish company, Young's.
Awards
At the 2011 BBC Radio 2 Folk AwardsBBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2....
Fisherman's Friends received The Good Tradition Award for keeping folk music alive and bringing it to new audiences.
Albums
| Album Title | Album details | Chart positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| Suck'em and Sea |
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| Another Mouthful From ... The Fisherman's Friends |
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| Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends is the third album from the British 10-strong singing group Fisherman's Friends. It was released in the UK on 26 April 2010, on Universal Records. It peaked at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart... |
|
9 |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Gold |