As an island, Britain has always had a close relationship with the sea. Over the centuries, it has inspired all kinds of artists, from poets to painters – and had a particularly strong influence on folk music.

At the age of 10, choirmaster Gareth Malone relocated with his family to Bournemouth, where he spent the next ten years of his life developing a passion for music and for the ocean. Learning how to sail, he was introduced by the locals to traditional sea shanties: songs used by sailors in the era before electricity and motors to help them keep the rhythm steady and morale high while working the ship.

Gareth is on a mission to rediscover and record them for posterity. Over two weeks, he’ll travel the coast around Cornwall, Devon, Wales, Tyne and Wear, Lincolnshire, Lancashire & Merseyside and Scotland; researching the local singing tradition and history.