Bring the family for a bit of fiddle in your fa la las

If you want to experience a down-home musical experience this holiday, bring your family to Freeland.

If you want to experience a down-home musical experience this holiday, bring your family to Freeland.

Randal Bays, along with some family and friends, will present a Solstice Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 at Freeland Hall, featuring fiddles, guitars, tinwhistles and singing. The group will even play a smattering of rare seasonal songs especially arranged for the concert.

Joining Bays is his wife Susan Waters on fiddle and singing, and his music partner Dave Marshall on guitar.

“It’s a family concert featuring the kind of traditional music we play in our house all year long,” Bays said.

“Hopefully, whole families will attend.”

You may have read about Bays previously in the Record having released his most recent album, “Dig With It,” produced with his touring buddy Marshall this year.

Bays has toured and recorded with many of the finest Irish musicians, including James Keane and Daithi Sproule of the band FINGAL, who played at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters in Langley last year.

Bays has also shared a stage recently with James Kelly, John Williams, Martin Hayes, Tony McManus, Aine Meenaghan and Roger Landes.

Families seeking traditional music played with aplomb would do well to attend and hear Bays and family offer up lots of old fiddle music along with a special “mini-concert” of solo guitar pieces and a taste of a new record on which Bays is currently at work.

There may be other surprises, as well, including unexpected musical guests from around the region who may drop by for a jig or two.

“I suppose this is our effort to whoop it up during the dark season, and share the music we love with our community,” Bays said.

Tickets cost $15 at the door, with well-behaved kids younger than 12 admitted free.

Info and reservations are available at Bays’ Web site, www.RandalBays.com or call him at 413-210-8870.