Renée Larry, Mary. Terry, Jerry

On Tuesday – that’s tomorrow! – music fans will have a first-time-ever opportunity right here in Greater Downtown Oysterville!  Five singer-songwriters will do a short (hour long) performance of their work at the Oysterville Church.  The event begins at 7:00 o’clock.

Mary Flower (Portland, OR), Terry and Jerry Holder (Olympia, WA), Renée Muzquiz (Portland, OR) and Larry Murante (Seattle, WA) will be culminating a week long retreat at Willapa Bay AiR with a round-robin presentation for the public, free of charge.  Their stay here at the beach has been sponsored by the Peninsula Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.

Oysterville Church, Wintertime

“It has been a fabulous experience,” Larry told me yesterday afternoon.  And when I met with the others over at the church to discuss the ‘nuts and bolts’ (heating, lighting, seating), everyone else echoed his sentiments.  They spoke about the generosity of Bill and Sue Svendsen of the Peninsula Performing Arts Center and of the fabulous facilities that Cyndy Hayward of Willapa Bay AiR has put at their disposal.

The musicians, themselves, can take credit for the idea of a public performance.  Each one expressed delight in the opportunity to perform in the Oysterville Church which is well-known in the music world for its excellent acoustics.  It is also known for its ‘historic’ character and the musicians were pleased to find that there is, in fact, a furnace and heat will be made available for tomorrow’s event.

Lighting is a little more problematic.  There are two outlets near the dais so the musicians can work by lamplight but, otherwise, at 7:00 p.m. on the last day of January, it’s mighty dark in the little 1892 building.  Votive candles (the kind contained in glass cups) on the windowsills will provide enough light for audience members to safely find seats and to enjoy the warm old-fashioned glow of yesteryear.

It should be a magical event.  Spread the word and come on over!