Weymouth harbour activities, among many other maritime themes, could be subjects for songs submitted to the Wessex Folk Festival 2009 songwriting competition
The 2009 songwriting competition run by the Wessex Folk Festival first place prize money has been raised to £200.
Paul Openshaw of the Wessex Folk Festival Committee believes this should provide a great incentive for aspiring songwriters to see if they are the best that can beat the rest.
All songs must be on a maritime theme which I should think offers lots of scope. The information on the Wessex Folk festival site gives some help with submissions and song guidelines but the way seems clear for lots of different nautical singing approaches.
Weymouth and Portland have a long and rich association with the sea and sailing over many years. Maritime songs could therefore presumably be about life in the Navy, on a fishing boat or even days spent pottering about in the Old Harbour area leisure sailing.
There is even a rowing boat that performs a ferry service across the Weymouth Old Harbour for those that don’t want to walk down and cross the bridge which might serve as a worthy topic of a song to record his efforts.
In 2012, Weymouth and Portland are playing a big part in hosting the 2012 sailing events presenting the opportunity for songwriters to write about the glory of being victorious in sailing competitions on a worldwide basis.
The Wessex Folk Festival is a not for profit organisation run in an old fashioned way by lots of dedicated followers (including myself, occasionally) so it is a worthy cause to support (In my humble opinion) and any surplus of entrance fees over prize money will go to supporting the Wessex Folk Festival.
So, if you have a nautical song in you on a maritime theme, why not give it the chance of a bit of glory and submit your songwriting entry today 
Bye for now
Rob
Rob Hopcott – online author and folkie (who can’t sing)
