Irish music at Bayside Temperance Hall
The Friday before St. Patrick's Day, Bayside Corners invites the public to enjoy “An Evening of Irish Music” on March 15 at the Bayside Temperance Hall, at the corner of Old Arcata and Jacoby Creek roads.
Desserts and alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks will be served. Chris Beresford and Janet Finney Krull's Irish soda breads will also be available. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and live music starts at 7 p.m. To save a seat, $20 tickets are available at www.baysidecorners.org/donate or mail your check to Bayside Corners, P.O. Box 342, Bayside, CA 95524.
This will be an evening of folk music from Ireland and the British Isles. First on stage will be Good Company. Well known to music lovers, Good Company has entertained Redwood Coast audiences for many years. They will perform their own arrangements of Irish and Scottish jigs, reels and ballads. Multi-instrumentalist Sam McNeill on violin, sixstring banjo, cittern and button accordion brings alive their Celtic tunes on traditional instruments. Janet Finney Krull on her silver flute, Irish flute, whistles, accordion, bodhran and other percussion enhances the international flavor. Bob Stockwell on violin, mandolin and guitar, with Patty McHaney on bass round out the Good Company sound.
Local musicians Dominic Romano and Evan Morden will perform fiddle tunes as a duo. Romano is a local songwriter/producer and musician who has always been drawn to Celtic music. He started playing classical music on the violin, but as soon as his teacher gave him a fiddle tune it was all he wanted to play. Over time, he shifted to acoustic guitar, expanding his connection with Irish music. Evan Morden has been a violinist since the age of 3, with a lifelong passion for music inspired by his father's love for Irish melodies. With a deep-rooted connection to Celtic tunes, he is a member of the local Irish pub band, The Vanishing Pints and previously played with Dominic in a Celtic-inspired progressive folk band, The Gatehouse Well.
The Romano and Morden performance will be a special “homecoming.” Both musicians attended Mistwood Educational Center as boys at the historic Temperance Hall. Significant in the early development of the Jacoby Creek Valley community, the Bayside Temperance Hall was built in 1882 to serve as a community center for socializing without alcohol. The hall has served as the location for churches, schools, dance classes, and several youth groups during its 132-year history.
Local nonprofit Bayside Corners accepted ownership of this property and Temperance Hall several years ago. Initially waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bayside Corners has launched the Bayside Community Revitalization Project to repair and upgrade the Temperance Hall and turn the site into an attractive minipark for all to enjoy. Stormwater drainage problems caused by the construction and expansion of Old Arcata and Jacoby Creek roads over the years have dramatically increased the project cost, according to a press release. All funds raised by “An Evening of Irish Music” on Friday will be able to be matched by a USDA Rural Facilities grant program.