For a brief, viral moment, sea shanties were cool on social media.
In a blink-and-you-missed-it 2021 TikTok trend, creators from all corners of the world recorded themselves singing a New Zealand whaling song called “Soon May the Wellerman Come.” Millions had discovered those rollicking work songs that once echoed across ship decks from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
But for the Rappahannock Whalers, this traditional maritime music style is more than a trend. Since 2018, the Whalers have been keeping the shanty alive across the Fredericksburg region.
If You Go
Pirates & Punch: Sat. Sept. 20, 6 p.m. & 7: 30 p.m., Rising Sun Tavern, 1304 Caroline St., Fxbg, $40 includes snacks and beverage (21+). Tickets here.
This dedicated group of amateur historians has been bringing the age of sail to life. Dressed in authentic period costumes, they perform at historical venues, local breweries, colonial celebrations, and reenactments, giving audiences a glimpse into our nautical past.
Sean Holliday said he has had a love for the music from an early age. “I have had a thing for preserving old chanties since I was 5,” Holliday said. “My parents took me to a performance of the Mystic Seaport Chanteymen, where I fell in love with them.”
Holliday, a local reenactor, discovered a kindred spirit in Remy Range, former head of the Yankees in Falmouth reenactment group, who talked him into joining a naval blacksmithing group. The songs naturally found their way into the living history events.
“Finally, I found another person with the same drive for performance preservation as me,” Holliday said. “So we put together this “thing” and we started looking for places to perform.”
During the holidays, downtown Fredericksburg shoppers might encounter the Whalers strolling between storefronts, their voices carrying centuries-old melodies through the colonial streets.
“We became a big hit and started to gain a following…the rest is history,” Holliday said. “It’s been an experience that has allowed us to sing for the National Park Service and at the Watermen’s Museum in Yorktown.”
And their reputation has sailed far beyond local waters. This July, the group had the honor of performing aboard the USS Constellation in Baltimore Harbor for the historic ship’s 170th anniversary celebration — a fitting venue for songs born on the decks of working vessels.
Sea shanties (also spelled “chanteys”) weren’t entertainment — they were essential tools. These rhythmic work songs helped sailors coordinate everything from hoisting sails to hauling anchor, transforming backbreaking labor into a synchronized effort. The Whalers understand this history intimately, weaving educational elements throughout their performances alongside generous helpings of maritime tall tales.
Through song and story, they transport listeners to creaking ship decks where survival depended on teamwork, timing, and the occasional rousing chorus. The Rappahannock Whalers will sing songs from the age of piracy and high seas adventures Sept. 20, providing musical accompaniment for two shows of Pirates and Punch at Fredericksburg’s historic Rising Sun Tavern.
“We all have a love of history and enjoy music, singing shanties, sea songs and telling tales of the sea,” explained member Steve Blancard. “It gives us the opportunity to share a bit of maritime history in a fun and entertaining way. There are many talented musicians and singers in the Fredericksburg area, but no one else brings rollicking sea music from the days of sail to life like the Rappahannock Whalers.”
