This weekend, The 85ers — a sea shanty choir made up of Portishead RNLI sea-going volunteers — will perform at the Coronation concert to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III.

The concert is to be held in the grounds of Windsor Castle on the evening of Sunday, May 7 2023, the day after the Coronation.

The six-strong group started The 85ers in 2021, during a period of lockdown, in the hope of lifting the spirits of the RNLI’s volunteers and supporters.

Since their establishment, the band have performed acapella sea shanties at various events, including the Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival.

Named after the RNLI’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, the band consists of Chris Wade, Jake Bacon, Jem Smale, Lu Shephard, Nick Williams and Paul Weston.

Shephard, who works as a performing arts teacher, says: “Every time I think about being part of this huge historical moment, my breath just goes. It’s unreal.

“We’ve been working hard and rehearsing in preparation for the performance, and I’m beyond excited to see it all come together this Sunday.”

Weston adds: “I’ve loved performing as part of The 85ers, and I’m so delighted to be part of such a huge group of fellow singers and performers.

“To think that a little group of singers from Somerset could be part of such a momentous event is mind-blowing, we can hardly believe it.”

The 85ers will be joined by a diverse range of singers at the concert, including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs to make up the community choir that will perform at the Coronation concert to celebrate the crowning of the King and Queen.

The 85ers

The concert line-up also includes Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Take That.

The band and lifeboat station were also involved in the filming of BBC One documentary, Sing For The King, which will air today (Friday, 5 May 2023), at 8pm.

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