Thousands of voices will sound out this summer in a rousing chorus designed to raise awareness of the Cornish language while getting more people singing.

That’s the aim of organisers of The Big Cornish Sing, who will be hosting an event on Looe Beach during this year’s Looe Music Festival.

They would like as many people as possible to learn the words and music of the Cornish version of Looe band The Changing Room’s song Row Boys Row – or Roev Sos Roev.

Free lyric sheets, sheet music and backing tracks are available online.

The song is a modern shanty-style song that captures the working life of Cornish seineboat fishermen and has already been adopted by many choirs, shanty groups and gig rowing teams.

The Big Cornish Sing is co-funded by Cornwall Council and delivered in partnership with the Cornish Language Office. The event is being supported by St Austell Brewery and the Falmouth University School of Film and Television.

The Looe Music Festival will run from Friday, September 29, to Sunday, October 1, and will see more than 12,500 visitors a day enjoying a weekend of live music.