Gilbert and McHagar
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We are committed to preserving and sharing the shanties and "songs of the sea" that once echoed across our Victorian waterfront during the golden age of sail.
We have entertained audiences throughout the Puget Sound with our lively shanties, amusing stories and beautiful ballads of the sea. We have performed at many pubs, yacht clubs , schools and festivals including Folk Life in Seattle, The Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend and the Maritime Festival in Port Angles. Inspired by our love of the British pub scene, we often pass out song sheets and encourage the audience to sing along. |
Band Member Bios
Chris Gilbert
Vocals, guitar, ukulele, banjo, bodhran
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Chris hails from London, England and has participated in various folk traditions in the "old country" since his college days. He spent many a happy hour singing in folk clubs and pub song circles. He also became very active in the quintessential English frivolity known as Morris dancing. In '92, he emigrated to the US, finally settling in Port Townsend. He finds the environment of the Northwest ideal for developing as a singer and a storyteller. Chris has another band focusing on folk songs from the British Isles called Happenstance. You can find them here: www.happenstancemusic.net You can find out more about Chris's other activities at GilbertHamilton.com |
Jay McHagar
Vocals, harmonica
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Jay was raised in Northern CA where he enjoyed singing cowboy songs and playing his harmonica while riding his horse at his family's stables. He went on to compete in horse shows and rodeos before hanging up his spurs, and starting a career in agricultural irrigation engineering. This took him to Australia, the Middle East, and Europe, where he discovered and fell in love with Irish pub singing.
He re-discovered his love of music after retiring to Port Townsend in 2011. While living aboard his boat, and attempting to become a sailor, he stumbled upon a shanty circle and joined in. He was soon taken by the history and culture of the ships of sail and the shanty art form. Jay realized he had found a new home when he heard a line from a maritime folk song that read “sailors are just cowboys at sea”. He met Chris at the shanty circles and they realized that they shared a passion for folk music and "songs o' the sea". Jay also performs in his country blues band "The Water Street Boys". |