Presents

Spring Tide Shantyfest

A Farewell to Winter

March 20-22

Uptown
Saint John

Return to Main Site

Tickets Launch December 6

Check Eventbrite

Ahoy Mateys!

Mark your calendars as the folks from the award-winning Fundy Sea Shanty Festival transform Uptown Saint John into a maritime music haven. Join us as we celebrate Saint John’s rich seafaring and shipbuilding heritage, bringing the enduring spirit of sea shanties to life.

Spread across multiple venues, the three-day festival features performances from six musical groups, interactive workshops, and culinary events - all highlighting the city’s vibrant culture and history. Immerse yourself in a series of lively musical performances and events including knot-tying workshops, a family-friendly Celtic dance session, and themed dining experiences like "Seafood Chowder & Shanties" at Steamers. Whether you're singing along at Trinity Anglican Church or enjoying the cozy atmosphere of the Shanty Pub at O’Leary’s Pub, the Spring Tide Shantyfest promises music, community, and joy as we wave goodbye to winter.

Let's showcase the timeless charm of maritime music and breathe new life into the city after winter’s doldrums. Get your ticket to celebrate the rhythms of the sea and the heart of Saint John’s historic Uptown – where music and maritime heritage converge!

Featured Performers

Click on each image to read more about our artists!

Katherine Moller

Katherine Moller’s music combines the rugged Scottish Highlands, the lush greens of Ireland, and the majesty of the St. John River Valley. Performing classical, baroque, and fiddle, Katherine merges these influences in original Celtic compositions. An active teacher, Katherine runs a private violin/fiddle studio in Fredericton, NB, as well as running successful online teaching programs with students from as far away as Australia. With rising popularity and multiple awards/nominations for her 7 solo albums, she truly is the master of four strings and a bow.

Bytown Sea Shanty Collective

Bytown Sea Shanty Collective is a quartet from Ottawa, Canada, born out of a love of the East Coast (we all have family ties down east, though New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland ). BSSC formally began their adventure in July 2022, after organizing living room singalongs since 2019. Since launching, BSSC has been offering free, accessible monthly Sea Shanty singalongs in Ottawa. What started with a first evening bringing in 30-40 people, now regularly sees 200+ attending on a monthly basis, with lineups out the door. BSSC is committed to giving back to their community and regularly engage in fundraising, bringing in over $8000 in 2023.

A key focus of BSSC has been giving people without musical training an opportunity to sing in a group - there are so many benefits that come from group singing, but opportunities are few! With that in mind, BSSC has worked to remove all barriers at their singalongs: there is no cover, no weekly practices (this is not a choir!), no need to read sheet music, no need for perfection. All are welcome.

Dram and a Draw

Andy Chatham and Kris Morey aren't from Newfoundland and Labrador, but they are often mistaken for it. Both their fathers were born there and ended up on the mainland married to New Brunswick girls. Their lifelong interest in the time-honoured tunes of the East Coast, along with their love of the Maritime JamBand scene led to Dram & A Draw, where the button accordion and the acoustic guitar are brought together in a traditional, yet modern way.

Upbeat, infectious melodies combine with interwoven vocal harmonies overtop a deep bass and a powerful stomp to create a rich, full, and exciting sound. Classic Celtic tunes are reimagined for today and original songs are crafted in the old style. Dram & A Draw is a modern East Coast Kitchen Party that'll get you up on your feet and dancing with the crowd!

Riversong

Riversong, a collaborative acapella ensemble that takes its name from the Petitcodiac River in southeast New Brunswick, is comprised of ten women, each of whom brings a wealth of choral, vocal and theatrical experience to the group.

With a repertoire ranging from folk to sacred, vocal jazz to Renaissance, pop to classical.

---- and now, sea shanties ! -- they have been making and sharing their multi-harmonic musical joy for 15 years in New Brunswick and beyond.

They have toured Atlantic Canada, performing with Choeur Neil Michaud, Les Jeunes Chanteurs d’Acadie, Before the Mast, Codiac Concert Band, The Aeolian Singers, the late Laura Smith, Fundy Ceilidh, and most recently with Heather Rankin, in settings as widely varied as Moncton’s Capitol Theater production of The Sound of Music and Festival 500 in St. John’s, NL.

Schedule of Events

Shantyfest Partners

Let's take a moment to recognize and thank our generous sponsors and supporters of our brand new spring festival! Want to join the partner crew? Email us at ahoy@fundyseashantyfest.com or call Gary at 506-832-3529

Funding Partners

High Tide Sponsor

Ebb Tide Sponsor

Jack Kidd Council #755

The Venues

From cozy accommodations and performances at the Hilton Hotel to delicious meals at Steamers, we've got you covered. Enjoy the vibe at O'Leary's Pub and experience the charm of Trinity Anglican Church. Join us for an unforgettable event in Uptown Saint John!