Bounding Main

Bounding Main is an a cappella quintet focusing on traditional sea shanties and maritime music. They are located in the United States.
Formed in 2003, Bounding Main's musical catalog focuses solely on maritime music. They perform traditional sea shanties and nautical ballads from as far back as 400 years ago, as well as contemporary pieces and original compositions. Bounding Main introduces historical music in a way that appeals to a wide range of listeners. Their use of harmony-focused arrangements brings new life to pieces generally arranged in a simple call and response format. They have a number of different costumes ranging from a traditional "Elizabethan sea dog" look to a more casual appearance with their French sailor smocks; they tailor their appearance to the performance and venue. This award winning group has taken several international tours bringing their music to popular shanty and maritime festivals in locations such as Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, France, England, and Canada. They have been referenced in books focusing on maritime music and history, and their music has been included in maritime museum exhibits, used in film soundtracks, and has been preserved in the British Library's Sound Archive.
Their fan club is known as the Bounding Mainiacs.
Dean Calin reached out to veteran environmental theater performers, Christie Dalby, Gina Dalby, Jon Krivitzky, David Yondorf, and Maggie Hannington, inquiring if they wanted to join together to sing maritime music. The group met for rehearsal for the first time on January 19, 2003. From 2003 through early 2010, the group had six members. In mid-2010, the group began performing as a quintet when Maggie Hannington retired from the group to make time for her family. In 2023, the group began performing as a quartet following the death of original member, David Yondorf, on May 17, 2023, following a brief battle with cancer. In 2024, Bounding Main welcomed a new member to their group, Patrick Knapp, Jr., who replaced David Yondorf as the group's baritone/bass.
As the original performers were vocalists, and traditional sea shanties were often performed a cappella, the group decided to perform their music a cappella with minimal percussion for select songs. The group originally collaborated with instrumentalists on their first CD, Maiden Voyage, but since then have elected to mainly produce a capella tracks.
Bounding Main has performed at maritime museums, maritime music festivals, including the Chicago Maritime Festival, tall ship festivals, harbor festivals, arts festivals, pirate festivals, renaissance faires, wooden boat shows, corporate events and private parties. Additionally, the group has performed at international music festivals in Canada and Europe.
Bounding Main has produced six CDs: Maiden Voyage, Lost at Sea, Going Overboard, Operation Share the Shanties, Kraken Up, and Fish Out of Water. Going Overboard was favorably reviewed in Dirty Linen magazine in 2010.
Bounding Main's first performance in Europe was at the Festival Maritim in Bremen-Vegesack, Germany in August 2008. They were one of only four bands from the USA to be represented at this festival between 2002 and 2009. Festival Maritim, which started in 1999, attracts high quality, professional bands and choirs from all over Europe and the world.
While in Germany for this festival, the group also performed at other locations in The Netherlands and Germany, most notably a charity performance to entertain US troops recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.
Six weeks later, the group embarked upon their second overseas trip, traveling to The Netherlands for the Liereliet Festival. Based in Workum, this festival has been entertaining with authentic work songs and sailing activities since 1988.
Bounding Main performed at the 29th International Sailors' Song Festival, "Shanties 2010" in Kraków, Poland. This popular shanty festival has become one of the most important in the world since its founding in 1981.
In August 2011 Bounding Main again traveled to The Netherlands and performed at the 10th anniversary of the "Bie Daip International Shanty Festival" in Appingedam, Netherlands.
Quebec, Canada, was the site of Bounding Main's next tour, where they performed at the "La Fête des chants de marins" in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. This festival, which attracts as many as 20,000 visitors in a year, highlights the maritime culture and local heritage of the Saint Lawrence River area.
Paimpol, in Brittany, north-west France, was the site of Bounding Main's 2013 tour, where they performed at the "Festival du Chants de Marin de Paimpol". This event, in the French region of Brittany, brings in world-class performers from all points of the compass. The festival regularly attracts enthusiastic audiences of more than 130,000 people.
In August 2014, Bounding Main again traveled to the Netherlands and performed at the "Bie Daip International Shanty Festival" in Appingedam, Netherlands. They then traveled to Germany to perform at the "Hafenfest Papenburg" festival in Papenburg, Germany.
In August/September 2016, Bounding Main traveled to the Netherlands to perform at the "Bie Daip International Shanty Festival" in Appingedam, Netherlands. This will be the third time Bounding Main has performed at this festival. They then traveled to Germany to perform at the "Hafenfest Papenburg" festival in Papenburg, Germany. This will be their second appearance at this festival.
In June 2017, Bounding Main will travel to Cornwall, U.K., to perform at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. They will then travel to the Netherlands to perform at the International Folk & Shanty Festival in Giethoorn, Netherlands. This will be the first appearance for Bounding Main at each of these festivals.
Paimpol, in Brittany, north-west France, was the site of Bounding Main's 2019 tour, where they performed at the "Festival du Chants de Marin de Paimpol". This event, in the French region of Brittany, brings in world-class performers from all points of the compass. This was the festival's 30th anniversary, titled "Best of", and was Bounding Main's second appearance at the festival. Their music was included on the festival CD, "Festival du Chant de Marin Gouel Kan Ar Vartoloded".
In February 2020, Bounding Main performed at the International Sailors' Song Festival, "Shanties 2020" in Kraków, Poland. This marked Bounding Main's second appearance at this popular shanty festival. Bounding Main was the recipient of the "Hat of Krakow" award. Additionally, Christie Dalby and Gina Dalby were honored with the "Figurehead 2020" award at this festival.
In February 2021, Bounding Main was asked to participate in the 40th anniversary of the International Sailors' Song Festival, "Shanties 2021". Their music was broadcast on Friday, February 26, 2021, from Kraków, Poland. The annual festival was moved to a virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2022, Bounding Main opened for The Longest Johns North America Smoke & Oakum Tour when they came to the Chicagoland area. The concert was held at the Evanston SPACE concert hall.
In August 2024, Bounding Main once again traveled to the Netherlands to perform. Their first concert was at the Grande Cafe' Fanfare in Giethoorn. They then continued on to Appingedam where they performed at the "Bie Daip International Folk & Seasong Festival". This was the fourth time Bounding Main had appeared at the maritime festival in Appingedam .
In August 2025, Bounding Main will return to Paimpol, France, to perform at the "Festival du Chants de Marin de Paimpol". This event, in the French region of Brittany, brings in world-class performers from all points of the compass and sees more than 130,000 people over the three-day festival. This will be Bounding Main's third appearance at this music festival.
Bounding Main's music has been presented at the following museums as a representation of either maritime or pirate music.
Additionally, their music is part of NRG's traveling "Treasure" exhibit.
Bounding Main has produced six albums:
Additionally, some of Bounding Main's songs appear on other CDs:
Bounding Main's music has been included in the following soundtracks: