free admission

If you’ve always wanted to sing at the Freight, tonight is your chance! And if you’ve never thought about singing at the Freight before, consider the opportunity now. There’s nothing like joining your voice with others to make a joyful sound – and tonight you can sing along with Shay Black, Hiram Bell, Tamsen Fynn, and Allegra Yellin.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Allegra will lead a kids & family song circle in the lobby, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The action moves to the Freight stage at 8:00 p.m. when Shay, Hiram, and Tamsen will lead the singing. Don’t worry if you don’t know the words. We’ll project song lyrics onto a screen onstage.

Shay Black is an avid songcatcher, musician, and singer known for his extensive knowledge of songs from the Irish, English, and Scottish traditions. He grew up in Dublin, moved to England in the early 1970s, and eventually settled in Berkeley. He has recorded one album with his brothers Michael and Martin as the Black Brothers, and three with Michael, Martin, and sisters Frances and Mary as the Black Family. He has also played and recorded with the illustrious Stan Hugill and the fabled sea shanty group Stormalong John, the Irish band Garva, the California Revels, Shira Kammen, Peter Kasin and Richard Adrianovich, Sharon Knight, and Steve Baughman. Shay is loaded with charm, and an evening spent singing with him is an experience to savor.

Hiram Bell, who grew up in Oahu, is a ukulele evangelist who teaches ukulele at Chabot College and College of San Mateo, and plays at clubs, festivals, and kani kapila – also known as jam sessions. He’s released a studio album, Sound Waves, and a live album, Santa Cruz Uke Club Presents Hiram Bell – all of which is great, but the point of the evening is to sing, and Hiram knows how to make a sing-along fun!

Tamsen Fynn sings folk and gospel, classical and jazz, rock and children’s music. She has released four albums with Orange Sherbet, which she co-founded in 2001, and two solo albums. Based in the Bay Area the past 15 years, she leads song circles that focus on getting comfortable, finding your voice, learning melodies and harmonies, and doing a bit of improv.

Allegra Yellin grew up singing harmonies with her family and has been leading song and harmony workshops for over 20 years. She plays with the award winning Squirrelly Stringband, the Hadassah Gospel Hour (with Suzy Thompson and Evie Ladin), and many other local musicians, and leads the guitar section of the Old Time Stringband Music Class, as well as teaching for East Bay Music Together, an early childhood music program for parents and children.

Opportunity is knocking, friends. This is your cordial invitation to sing at the Freight!