Performance
Barry often performs solo accompanying himself on guitar, octave mandolin, and ukulele. But what gives him the greatest satisfaction is the opportunity for creative collaboration with other musicians. Whether in a band, or a choir, or providing backup accompaniment to one or more singers, he enjoys exploring innovative ways to present his original songs and to breathe new life into covers.
Barry is a longtime member of folk group Fraser Union, performing at BC festivals such as Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Vancouver Island Musicfest, Filberg Festival, ArtsWells, Islands Folk Festival, Princeton Traditional Festival, UBC Applefest and others, as well as countless conferences, coffeehouses, folk clubs, and fundraisers.
Barry and music buddy Craig Williams came together in 2012 to form The Jook Joint Jokers. Sharing a passion for the country blues of Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson and others, they have collaborated over the years with singers Ellen van der Hoeven and Caroline Samorodin performing those feels-so-bad-it-feels-good kinda songs at folk clubs and coffeehouses in BC.
Barry has sung with Karla Mundy’s world music choir Rhythm ‘n’ Roots since 2017. In 2020 he joined a group of singers led by Karla to study South African choral music in Capetown with instructors Bongani Magatyana and Matlakala Bopape. The group performed with local choirs in a variety of venues including township churches and community centres, a cathedral, and a prison.
In 2023 he travelled to Corsica on another of Karla’s music study tours to learn traditional Corsican polyphonic songs from local instructors Jean-Etienne Langiani and Frederic Vesperini.
