MUSICIANS Bob Whiteley and Lee MacKenzie will set sail on a tour of rural Dorset with Artsreach this autumn, performing a brand new folk musical inspired by the fabled voyage of Captain Ferdinand Magellan.

Magellan Circumnavigation, a musical story of love divided by the greatest voyage of human exploration the world has seen, calls in at Shipton Gorge Village Hall at Shipton Gorge near Bridport on Saturday, October 12 at 7.30pm.

On September 20 1519 an armada of five ships set sail from Spain with 260 men aboard, seeking to find a passage through the South American continent. On 8 September 1522 just one ship returned demasted and wrecked, with 18 circumnavigators on board.

Their Captain General Ferdinand Magellan had died in battle on 27 April 1521. They had survived a trip of 3 years and 28 days, of 60000 miles. The circumference of the world was increased by 7000 miles. Their timekeeping by the hourglass and stars was accurate enough to puzzle them as to why they had gained a day by circumnavigating the earth from east to west...

This brand new musical folk tale follows the story of a sailor on the voyage and his wife at home, mirroring the lives of Ferdinand and Beatriz Magellan. Bob Whitley and Lee MacKenzie combine breathtaking vocal harmonies with intricate guitar and mandola instrumentation, delivering songs inspired by Magellan’s voyage 500 year ago.

Expect a story of mutinees, battles, storms, shipwreck, love and loss performed with passion by two accomplished singers and musicians in Shipton Gorge Village Hall (01308 897407) on Sat 12 Oct. Full details and tickets are also available online at www.artsreach.co.uk

*Magellan Circumnavigation, Shipton Gorge Village Hall, near Bridport, Saturday, October 12, 7.30pm. Call 01308 897407 for tickets or go to artsreach.co.uk