The Harry Browns of Bristol are possibly the UK’s most longstanding purveyors of sea shanties and songs of the sea. They have been performing for over thirty years and have sung at many major maritime festivals across the UK and Europe. The group pride themselves on the quality of their sound, their sumptuous harmonies and arrangements and for paying respect to the maritime traditions and the courage of those who put to sea. They like to sing either acapella or accompanied with fiddle and guitar.

Their group’s name refers to The Harry Brown, a sand dredger and one of the last working boats to ply its trade from Bristol’s floating harbour. Rusty, off quay and full of bilge some have dared to make comparison between the ship and the group.

The group’s roots and home are in Bristol, a beautiful city with a rich maritime heritage. It is from Bristol that John Cabot set sail in 1497 to discover America in the Matthew and it is where the Brunel built the SS Great Britain, a revolutionary steamship which paved the way for iron hulls and the use of propellers. The Harries are often found to be singing on these iconic ships.