The family-fun show starts with a one-hour sea shanty workshop at 6pm, followed by a community dinner and performance from the Southern Ocean Sea Band playing classic tunes plus songs from their album Blood & Bones & Fins & Glory.

“The thing I love about sea shanties is that you don’t really need to be able to sing,” band member Jordan Lockett said. “You can just have a bit of a crack.”

Lockett said the songs were reasonably simple and print-outs of the lyrics will be available on the night.

“They were work songs back in the day,” he said.

After the workshop the band will launch into the main performance, consisting of either one big show or a number of sets “depending on the evening”.

“It’s all about celebrating the maritime history and acknowledging the conflicts which occurred,” Lockett said. “One song in particular focuses on the Eumerella wars.”

People are encouraged to get into the theme of the night and dress up as pirates, sailors or other characters associated with the ocean.

“It looks cool when people do this,” Lockett said.

The nine members of the band perform on a range of traditional instruments including the Uilleann pipes, squeeze box and the lagerphone. 

“The vision is to sound like a band would have back in the day,” Lockett said.

Dinner and drinks will be available on the night, but people can bring their own refreshments.

Supported by Regional Arts Victoria and the Corangamite Shire, doors will open at the Terang Civic Hall at 6pm.