Knox United Church will be cooking up some Newfoundland-style fun for a concert with Fergus O’Byrne next month.
The Irish at Heart concert at Knox United Church (345 Pym St., Parksville) is Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m.
There will be a Newfoundland-style kitchen party at 6 p.m. with appetizers as well as a live and silent auction.
O’Byrne said it will be a musical evening with a mix of Newfoundland and Irish music.
O’Byrne is an Irish-Newfoundland musician, who is best known as a member of the popular Irish-Newfoundland band Ryan’s Fancy, and as a banjo, concertina and bodhran player. O’Byrne started his musical career in the 1970s, and he said he’s made his living as a full-time musician all this time.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, O’Byrne emigrated to Canada in 1967 and while living in Toronto, he became a founding member of the Irish folk band Ryan’s Fancy alongside Dermot O’Reilly and Denis Ryan. In 1971, the group moved to St. John’s, NL and for the next 14 years they toured throughout North America and Ireland as a trio.
In his time with Ryan’s Fancy, O’Byrne said he appeared on many TV shows, including CBC’s Ryan’s Fancy which ran as a national series for five years and the Tommy Makem/Ryan’s Fancy show that was syndicated throughout Canada and various countries around the world.
O’Byrne said the CBC show was very successful and they then did several specials.
“Basically, we were a TV band,” O’Byrne said. “But also at the same time we were hard-working musicians.”
In his 47-year career, O’Byrne has been involved in the recording and producing of numerous albums.
In 1987, O’Byrne said he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a degree in education. Since then, he said, he has had a concentrated interest in promoting folk music to young people. He has developed and produced a show featuring songs, stories and slides related to his native country, Ireland, for schools.
“It’s primarily dealing with young people and what I feel the importance of mentoring young people in folk music,” O’Byrne said. ” I just find that it’s a great social outlet for kids.”
O’Byrne said when he first went to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador he worked on TV shows, including an exploratory folkloric program featuring traditional musicians from rural Newfoundland.
O’Byrne said meeting these people and finding them so generous and giving of their time, he wanted to pass on and share their music.
“As a young musician, I developed a sense of the importance of passing along what you know to the next generation.”
O’Byrne added that he has a lifelong passion of dealing with young people.
Tickets are $35 and are available at Knox United Church and Mulberry Bush book stores in Parksville (280 E. Island Hwy.) and Qualicum Beach (130 W. Second Ave.).
Proceeds for the concert are in support of the Knox Organ Project fundraiser which is raising funds to purchase a new, high quality, digital organ at the church. Jenny Vincent, an accomplished Canadian organist, recently moved to Nanoose Bay to become Knox’s music leader. In the last six month she has held four organ recitals, each time, playing to a full house at the St. Marks Anglican Church in Qualicum Beach.
Knox United Church strives to be a scent-free facility. For more information on the concert, visit www.kucparksville.ca.