On Saturday, Nov. 30, with financial support from the Neighborhood Small Grants initiative, a very successful musical event was held at the Coopers Green Hall.
Tracy Wandling, who I discovered is, in addition to being a talented jewellery maker, a musician who plays in a band with a couple of other folks, have been holding a series of acoustic jam sessions on Saturdays and, since plans were already in the works for a music event on the 30th, we asked Tracy if they would consider joining us, and of course they wholeheartedly agreed. Elise Rudland told me it was “a resounding success” with quite a few musicians and a good number of the public showing up to play and sing along to some old favourites.
Later that evening the Soul Sessions (a West Coast trio blending gospel, soul and R&B) played to an enthusiastic crowd. The hall was artfully decorated by local talented photographer Chelsea Staver of CBR Photography who also took some spectacular photos of the event. Chris Hergesheimer, one of the event’s main organizers and a splendid musician and community advocate, exclaimed “there were some seriously good vibes Saturday night.” Amanda-Rae, Chris’ better half and the inspirational creative behind Stella Rose, helped pull it all together, including creating food platters with contributions from local food makers Liat Pakes of Healthy hOMe and Renee Connors of West Coast Nibbles.
This event highlighted some of the amazing talent that exists in Halfmoon Bay. As mentioned in a previous Happenings column, a group of residents have been evolving the concept a Halfmoon Bay Cultural “cooperative.” The cooperative would provide a platform to showcase talent, share resources, and bring arts and culture to the forefront of our community. By pooling the skills, ideas, and resources of local talent and the community, we can create opportunities that benefit not just the cooperative members, but the entire community. If there are any individuals, community members and creatives, that want to participate in this conversation, please send an email to [email protected] and/or [email protected].
“Art and culture are the heart of our community – let’s grow it together!”
